Sunflower House (Books for Young Readers) [Paperback]

Eve Bunting (Author), Kathryn Hewitt (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up | Series: Books for Young Readers

A charming tale about inventive children who plant some summer fun.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-K?Another story about the life cycle of growing things?in this case, mammoth sunflowers?planted in a way that captures the imagination. A young boy plants the seeds in a large circle. He waters them and waits patiently until they grow taller than himself, with huge nodding blossoms that form a perfect "sunflower house." He and two friends play in the "house" all summer, even sleeping in it one night, until the leaves turn brown and the stems fall down. Then they fill their pockets with the seeds, the birds eat some, and the rest are left on the ground to grow again next summer. Bunting's idea is creative and charming, with poetic and romantic aspects. Unfortunately, the text, written in rhymed couplets, is not wholly successful. At times, the rhyme scheme seems strained and the meter becomes singsongy. The bright illustrations, done in watercolor and colored pencil, are reminiscent of this team's Flower Garden (Harcourt, 1994). They are realistic and add interesting details that extend the brief text. Despite its flaws, the book could spark an interest in the cycle of nature.?Virginia Golodetz, St. Michael's College, Winooski, VT
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Ages 4^-7. A little boy plants sunflower seeds in a big circle. He cares for them and watches them grow into a round wall of stems with golden flowers at the top. After playing in the "sunflower house" all summer, he and his friends collect the seeds from the dying plants to sow for next summer's flowers. Rhymed couplets written in first person express the boy's determination, surprise, and delight as he weaves his own play into the sunflowers' cycle from seed to seed. The watercolor-and-colored pencil artwork shows a variety of perspectives, from cross sections of the seed sprouting underground to moonlit scenes of children sleeping out in the sunflower house. Primary and preschool teachers will find this a colorful, child-appealing addition to units on plants. Parents should prepare for spring planting. Carolyn Phelan --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper; 1st Voyager Books Ed edition (April 19, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152019529
• ISBN-13: 978-0152019525
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 10 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #67,306 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #71 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Nature > Fiction

More About the Author

Eve Bunting has written more than 200 books for children, many of which can be found in libraries around the world. Her other Clarion titles for very young readers include My Big Boy Bed, which was also illustrated by Maggie Smith, and Little Bear's Little Boat, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. She lives in Pasadena, California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Colorful, playful, nostalgic, bright and fun., June 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Sunflower House (Hardcover)

Looking for the perfect book for kids to understand the concept of 'how a seed grows'...? This one is great, and shows the development of the seeds, from beginning to end while bright illustrations show what fun the garden brings home to the little boy who grew his own 'sunflower house' and shared it with others. How one seed can grow into a plant that supplies even more seeds to sow, and bring pleasure not only for one season, but many seasons thereafter that others may enjoy as well.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Sweet Book, March 8, 2002

By 

Victoria (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sunflower House (Books for Young Readers) (Paperback)

I absolutely love this concept book. My preschool children love it too. I have 4 & 5 year olds and this book is a great jumping off point to all sorts of Springtime themes! I have read many of Eve Bunting's books and all are wonderful; I highly recommend them all.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sunflower House, January 6, 2005

By 

Lisa (Vermont) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sunflower House (Books for Young Readers) (Paperback)

Beautiful pictures. I read this book to my 3 & 4 year old sons.
They thought it was really neat so we planted a sunflower house that spring. Even my 9 yr old son wanted in on the project. It was a great way to introduce not only the wonders of the plant growth process but also the responsibilty of caring for things that grow.