Gr 1-4-Another contemplative look at the natural world from the pair who created An Egg Is Quiet (Chronicle, 2006). This introduction to seeds and plants uses simple sentences that will stretch children's minds and imaginations. Each spread is devoted to the seed's many attributes, including adventurous, inventive, generous, ancient, and clever. The text then builds on these descriptors with interesting facts: "It knows to seek the sunlight...." The author does not shy away from words that children may be unfamiliar with; rather, she constructs sentences that define these words in terms that children can understand: "Not all seeds are eager to germinate. Some have lain dormant, or slept undisturbed, for more than a thousand years." Long's ink-and-watercolor sketches, full of rich color and intricate detail, merit high praise. Readers not yet familiar with cursive writing may experience some difficulty deciphering portions of the text independently, but this book is a wonderful addition to units that focus not only on seeds and plants, but also on writing and the language arts.-Maura Bresnahan, High Plain Elementary School, Andover, MA Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

In this beautifully designed book, each double-page spread uses a human quality ("secretive," "adventurous") to illustrate features of plant seeds and reproduction. The illustrations of botanicals, often up-close paintings filled with relevant details and beautiful colors, are magnificent. While the use of anthropomorphism can help readers interpret seed characteristics, at times the poetic artistry trumps the science.

In this follow-up to An Egg Is Quiet (2006), the creators offer another beautifully illustrated introduction to an aspect of the natural world. This time, the topic is seeds, and once again, Long's masterful watercolors dominate each spread, which includes text on two levels. Short poetic phrases in large print, aimed at younger children, give seeds accessible, anthropomorphic qualities: "A seed is sleepy"; "A seed is adventurous." Paragraphs in smaller print, which tackle science concepts and expand on the phrases, are geared to older readers. The format, with little space devoted to text, doesn't always allow for thorough explanations, and kids will need help with many facts and terms. But the elegant watercolor pictures, which include helpful charts depicting a seed's growth into a plant, will pull children into the basic botany, while the pages filled with enticingly detailed seeds, both common and exotic, will encourage kids to wonder about the plant world's mysterious, gorgeous spectrum of possibilities.