ABCs of Plants

Children's Literature - Carly Reagan

With headings like "C is for Colorful cactuses" and "E is for Energy from the sun," the alphabet-corresponding subjects reach beyond just naming flowers and dive into the inner-workings of the plant world, from explaining their life cycle to discussing carnivorous plants such as the Venus flytrap. The broad world of plants is explained, piece by random piece, using creative ways to involve the reader, such as "I is for Imagine," which asks the reader to "Imagine" if flowers could talk and to write what they would say. One in a series of alphabetically categorized nature books known as "The ABCs of the Natural World," in which many aspects of the natural world are explained in short, easy paragraphs, complete with an index and a useful glossary. Colorful photographs by a variety of photographers add a realistic, educational touch that helps readers match the facts they are learning about the plants with what they really look like, taking this beyond the typical dull, faded textbook photo approach. Much of the textual content in this particular installment is covered in the classroom and textbooks, and adding this book to the available supplemental learning materials in the classroom may help the child who is a visual learner to grasp concepts that may otherwise be difficult. This entire series would be a great addition to the classroom on the science shelf, as the colorful photographs, interesting facts, and simple writing style make it both fun and educational for children of almost any age. I even learned a few things myself. (Did you know that lizards can pollinate flowers?) Reviewer: Carly Reagan