Review by Booklist Review
Ubiquitous author and illustrator Gibbons turns her pen to the topic of flowers: where they grow, how they are pollinated, who studies them, and why we love them. The beginning of the book focuses on the science of flowers, before moving on to gardening as an activity. The pages are jam-packed with illustrations rendered in black ink, watercolor, and colored pencil and extensively labeled, which provides a visual feast, though the text is sometimes overwhelmed. Gibbons devotes several pages to the parts of flowers and explanations of how climate, environment, and wildlife can affect a flower's life cycle. The idea of gardening as a community activity, rather than a solitary task, is reinforced by illustrations of people tending gardens together, harvesting fruit, and sharing potted plants and cut bouquets. The people involved are mostly adults, but a picture of a school garden shows that kids can get in on the fun as well. Colorful, informative, and varied, this book is suited for all library collections.--Kara Dean Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Horn Book Review
Gibbons's signature labeled ink, watercolor, and colored-pencil illustrations are as striking as ever. The spare text introduces flowers' many forms, environments, and life cycles as well as information about flower propagation. Final pages describe creating a flower garden and the many ways to enjoy flowers (cut, potted, etc.); "Flower Facts" are also appended. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A very busy informational picture book for preschool and primary grades. There is almost too much information in this 32-page compendium. Following a generic one-line introduction, Gibbons launches into discussions of climate, how and where plants grow (from seeds, from bulbs, and on vines, bushes, and trees), habitats, environment, annuals, perennials. This occupies 10 pages. Another 10 pages explain the parts of a flower as well as pollination and propagation. "How to Grow a Garden" fills six pages, starting with "Spring" and including pages for "Summer" and "Fall" (but no Winter). Finally, Gibbons discusses community gardens, greenhouses, and florists before a concluding page with thumbnail drawings of "Birthday Flowers as well as assorted "Flower Facts"curiosities that may intrigue readers patient enough to find them. The large, 10-inch-square trim, and the attractive, detailed, and accurate watercolor-and-colored-pencil illustrations outlined in black ink within, will attract picture-book readers, but the cramped and cluttered layout may be off-putting. At the same time, the absence of a table of contents or index limits its utility for older students' research. Gibbons' fans may be disappointed by the overreach.Gibbons' lovely botanical renderings are ill-served by the effort to cover too much for the format. (Informational picture book. 5-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
