From Seed to Apple Tree: Following the Life Cycle

Children's Literature - Phyllis Kennemer

After explaining that there are more than a thousand types of apples, the text focuses specifically on the life cycle of a Golden Delicious apple tree. The tree starts as a seed that puts down roots and grows into a shoot, then a seedling, then a sapling, and finally a full grown tree ready to produce apples. Apple blossoms, the need for pollination, and the role of bees in the process are discussed, as is the maturation of the bud to an apple. It takes an apple tree about five years from the planting of the seed to the production of apples. Apple trees usually live for about a hundred years. The pages are filled with colorful illustrations and diagrams that complement the text and aid in understanding. An inset box with a concise fact appears on each double-page spread. The book includes a "Table of Contents," a diagram of the stages of tree growth, a glossary, a bibliography, and an index. Appropriate for young researchers. Part of the "Amazing Science: Life Cycles" series. Reviewer: Phyllis Kennemer, Ph.D.