From School Library Journal
Pres-Grade 2—Numbers, colors, and gardening are combined in this vividly illustrated counting book. The story starts as Max and Josephine plant a garden, first 1 watermelon seed, then 2 pumpkin seeds, and so on all the way to 10. The phrase, "and they grew" follows mention of each new set of seeds. The graphic-style illustrations depict the seedlings as they grow, with an occasional gardening glove, tool, watering can, or young hand inserted into the scenes. After a center spread with colorful plants filling the pages to capacity and Max and Josephine busy at work, it's time for the harvest. The fruits and vegetables are so plentiful that they must be counted in tens: "ten watermelons, big and green, and twenty pumpkins, glowing orange." The vibrant colors and close-up views of the produce make it look delicious and irresistible. Later, on a cold winter night, the children turn "one hundred ears of corn" into "100s and 1000s of big, white crunchy puffs" of popcorn. Throughout the book, the text runs along the bottom of the double-paged illustrations, with the numerals, in bright colors, lining up beneath. This appealing book is great for classroom counting and discussions of seasons. Pair it with Lois Ehlert's
Growing Vegetable Soup (Harcourt, 1987).—
Jane Marino, Bronxville Public Library, NY Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
"
One Watermelon Seed offers countless (pun intended!) early learning opportunities and is a valuable resource for all school and public library collections.
Highly Recommended"
--
CM Magazine "Luxuriant illustrations, a counting lesson that goes beyond 1 to 10, and the fun of hunting for hidden creatures: this new edition of One Watermelon Seed is sure to be a hit with both preschoolers and those who read to them."
-- ForeWord Magazine
"First published in 1986, this new, delicious edition with its brightly coloured digital illustrations belongs in the first rank of books of its genre: the counting book."
-- The Globe and Mail
"The vibrant colors and close-up views of the produce make it look delicious and irresistible. . . This appealing book is great for classroom counting and discussions of seasons."
-- The School Library Journal
"Lottridge's text is musical and brief, while Patkau's illustrations celebrate the abundant colour of a summer garden."
-- The Toronto Star
"As I write this, seeds are beginning to sprout in my own children's vegetable garden and the excitement of my family is palpable. So, too, is the pleasure in this book, which takes the delight of coaxing food out of the earth and matched it with the thrill of sharing a book with a loved one. . . Bright illustrations boost the joy of reading this delightful book."
-- Today's Parent
