Busy in the Garden Book

Amazing Snakes! is the fifth title in an award–winning series of I Can Read Books that features photographs from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), one of the world's most esteemed wildlife conservation organizations. The exceptional writing and design of the I Can Read Books–paired with WCS's global research and conservation efforts, educational programs, and stunning color photographs–make this a standout series for children, caregivers, and teachers!

Sheilah Egan - Children's Literature

Babies and toddlers are notoriously "busy." In this absolutely delightful collection of poems the little ones are invited, encouraged, even exhorted to set about planting seeds, pulling weeds, and reaping the results of their efforts. "Zucchini" is one of my favorites as it addresses the plight of zucchini growers everywhere—too much of the green stuff. Beginning with "zucchini / meeny / miney / moe" and ending with "zucchini hash and succotash. / Zucchini / meeny / miney / MOAN," this one is the perfect description of the zucchini gardener's overabundant crop. The charming illustrations show plants in all of their stages of development from seed to flower to fruit as an integrated part of the pictures of the darling children who cavort about the garden. One of the poems is a little riddle about the parts of a plant that people eat; "sister ate the seeds and tossed the rest" is the line about eating peas. Reading this book will result in lots of discussions about the parts of plants that are consumed and would pair well with the book Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens. Grab your own garden basket and pack it with these twenty four poems for a "garden of delight"—guaranteed. You'll love the one about how to grow Jack O'Lanterns—plant a candle with every pumpkin seed! The cute-o-meter goes to the top on this one but do not overlook the many teachable moments captured in this celebration of all things "garden." Wrap this up with a "bunch of seeds" and give it as a wonderful gift of spring. 2006, Greenwillow/HarperCollins, and Ages 3 up.