Division 5 is participating in the Growing Chefs program and learning all about growing plants, urban agriculture and the wonder of vegetables! Our windowsills are full of seedlings and we are indulging in many garden themed read alouds to learn more about the magic of gardens, growing and green. The following is a list of books that will be part of our reading:
The Bumblebee Queen by April Pulley Sayre and illustrated by Patricia J. Wynne
An informative information story book that details the lifecycle of the Queen bee. Touches on hive life, pollination and human behaviour towards bees.
Deborah Hodge‘s Watch me Grow and Up we Grow (photographs by Brian Harris)
These books have special meaning as Deborah Hodge gifted them to our class when she visited in the fall! These books immerse us in the world of gardening and growing! One focuses on life on a small farm and the other looks at growing food in the city.
The Story of Frog Belly Rat Bone by Timothy Basil Ering
In Cement Land, the promise of a packet of seeds is huge admist the gray drab world. Highlights the magic of watching seeds transform into plants!
The Gardener by Sarah Stewart and illustrated by David Small
Can a package of flower seeds bring happiness and beauty to a family during the Great Depression?
The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
Liam lives in the city and nurtures a struggling garden into a majestic green world. The power of a garden to invade (in the best of ways) stark city life.
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
We each need to do something to make the world a more beautiful place. Miss Rumphius spreads lupine seeds throughout the countryside and the resulting flowers have a transformative effect on everyone who stumbles upon them.
Westlandia written by Paul Fleischman and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
Wesley creates Weslandia, his own civilization using the plants he grows from some mysterious seeds and the products he makes from them.
A Seed is Sleepy by Dianna Aston and Sylvia Long
Poetic text and beautifully detailed illustrations introduce us to the wonder of both familiar and unfamiliar seeds.
The Imaginary Garden by Andrew Larsen and illustrated by Irene Luxbacher
When Theodora’s Grandfather must leave his beloved garden when he moves to an apartment, granddaughter and grandfather create a beautiful garden from seed to flower through the power of art and love.
There's a Book for That 
Awesome list. Makes me wistful as I watch the snow outside my window…
Snow. Yikes. We are very lucky in Vancouver – most spring bulbs are up and trees in bud or beginning to leaf out! A gorgeous time of year.
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A great list – and interesting to hear you’d choose A Seed is Sleepy if you had to pick just one to excite kids about gardening. I do think Dianna Aston and Sylvia Long make lovely books together.
There’s something so so magical about how a small seed can become a beautiful plant, flower or vegetable. This book with its gorgeous seed illustrations amazes children.
I especially love Miss Rumphius, and also anything illustrated by Sylvia Long – just saw her at a book signing and bought “Because You Are My Baby” for my grandson.
Miss Rumphius is certainly a classic! The Imaginary Garden also portrays a lovely relationship between granddaughter and grandfather.
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