Jack-in-the-Pulpit

School Library Journal

Gr 3-6-- A photo feast for budding botanists and wildflower lovers. By focusing on a common and familiar yet striking plant, Wexler hooks his readers and provides a fascinating journey through the life cycle and reproduction of what he jokingly refers to as Spadix-in-the-spathe (jack-in-the-pulpit). The bold, crisp photographs, a Wexler trademark, perfectly meld with the text to show the various stages of growth as well as specific plant parts. Botanical terms such as stigma, gametes, and pistillate flowers are introduced and explored as a part of the odyssey through the life cycle. However, this is not a technical tome. It is a book that is devoted to wonder and appreciation. It may lead especially enthusiastic readers to try the four-year growing experiment that the author uses to document the slow growth of the plant. A solid science/nature book that will delight and challenge readers to explore the complexities of the living things around them. --Steve Matthews, Foxcroft School, Middleburg, VA