Recommended Reads

Through brilliant, textured cut paper collages, the story follows the progress of a mother and daughter in their backyard as they plant bulbs, seeds, and seedlings and nurture their growth into flowers. Bold, spare text and dazzling illustrations will inspire readers to take a closer look at the natural world and maybe even start a garden of their own.

Little Nelly Dragon enjoys the different flowers each month in her garden.

When Ali and Poppy hear about wild gardening at school, they immediately start to dream about all the adventures they could have if they invited the wild into their backyard. They soon set to work transforming their ordinary garden into a beautiful (and slightly less tidy) place that can be a home for a wide variety of animals and plants. They dig a pond, let the lawn grow into a meadow, and allow their hedge to become a messy tangle perfect for little creatures to hide in. Soon their garden is a beautiful place, full of wild flowers and butterflies, where they see hedgehogs and migrating birds, fox cubs and hummingbird hawk moths... Eventually, Ali and Poppy find themselves looking forward to each new year and season in a new way – because of all the wildlife adventures it will bring to them.

 

Julie is a happy little girl who lives in Paris, but she wishes she could walk in a country garden. She is pleased when her mother decides to take her to visit the most wonderful garden in the world, owned by a great friend of the family. They arrive at their destination, and for this little girl it is like walking in a dreamy world where twisting plants grow as tall as trees. When Julie's dog runs away, she asks the friendly gardener to help find her pet, and soon she and the gardener are friends. 
But this amiable, bearded old man is a very unusual gardener, for not only does he cultivate his many plants, he also paints beautiful pictures of them. Julie has made a friend of the great impressionist painter, Claude Monet. 

 

All the colors of the rainbow are hidden in the garden, but can the little bee find them--with help from the reader Christie Matheson, author of the popular and acclaimed Tap the Magic Tree, brings a garden to life in this bright, interactive picture book about the natural world--and our place within it.

One little bee peeks out on a world of gray and snow.

She's looking for bright colors and needs you to help them grow.

Bees need a healthy and colorful garden to survive. Luckily, all the colors of the rainbow are hidden in this garden--but the bees need the reader's help to find them. Brush off the camellia tree, tickle the tulips, and even blow a kiss to the lilac tree. With every action and turn of the page, a flower blooms and more bees are drawn to the feast.

A timeless treasury of more than 100 stories from the incredible kingdom of plants, told by author and nature expert Ben Hoare.

Plants are found almost everywhere on Earth, but to many people their lives are a mystery. Learn how seagrass flowers underwater, how the Venus flytrap counts to make sure it catches its prey, and why some tulips used to cost more than a house! This fascinating book for kids explores the vast plant kingdom and explains how plants work, as well as the weird and wonderful relationships they have with animals.

Children can discover the secrets of more than 100 amazing plants in this treasury of fascinating flora, as well as the essentials of plant science, including photosynthesis, pollination, and germination. Each species is shown with remarkable photography and beautiful illustrations, all brought to life by Ben Hoare’s writing, filled with charm and infectious enthusiasm. 

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Describes how to choose, plant, and care for various kinds of flowers.

In this poem, children discover that planting seeds is an exciting adventure that is good for the Earth, too!

Ava is delighted when she discovers a brilliant red poppy in the middle of her yard.  She sits with the little flower in the sunny days of summer and shields it from the rain, until one day the petals start to drop and the tiny flower fades away.  But when spring comes again...Ava is surprised anew.

An introduction to the physical characteristics, life cycle, and role of flowers in the world of plants."

Flowers are calling to all the animals of the forest, "Drink me!"--but it's the pollinators who feast on their nectar.

In rhyming poetic form and with luminous artwork, this book shows us the marvel of natural cooperation between plants, animals, and insects as they each play their part in the forest's cycle of life.

"Birthday flowers. Valentine's Day flowers. Sympathy flowers. Red vs. yellow roses. Carnations. Orchids. We give/receive flowers for all sorts of reasons, but have you ever wondered what these beautiful flowers are REALLY trying to say? In this fully illustrated book, young readers will learn how everything from the color to the genus of a flower can communicate the simplest message. This is not your typical gardening book with step-by-steps to prepping soil, planting seeds, etc. (although we'll have a section on how to plant the perfect garden for your personality). Channel your inner horticulturist and learn the language of flowers! 

Many plants produce flowers. In fact, flowering plants are the largest and most widespread group of plants. In this informative title, readers will learn about the different parts and functions of flowers. Full-color photographs and clearly written text help readers' knowledge blossom!

This field guide highlights 100 flowers and plants found throughout the world. Readers will gain a greater understanding about these living things and will be able to identify them in the wild. Features include a helpful introduction to the topic, a glossary, additional resources, and an index. 

A lucky little girl is invited by the flower fairies to join them for their Midsummer festival. Gathering around Queen Rose, all the flowers and bumblebees and birds tell their enchanting stories, while Pea-blossom and the Dew-cups serve refreshments.

The crocus asked the butterfly, "Will you sing a lullaby To lull me oh-so-soft to sleep tonight? " gt;Full to bursting with bright, gorgeous flowers and delicate, friendly bugs, this is a unique and irresistible bedtime book-a lullaby that revels in the beauty of the natural world. The text dances and the collage artwork dazzles the eye.

Zinnia grows many kinds of flowers in her garden. Sunflowers, sweet peas, and (of course) zinnias bloom in the sunshine. Customers come to pick their own bunches of flowers. Bouquet-bright artwork shows all Zinnia's tasks, from planting the seeds to cutting the beautiful blooms. 

After traveling the world in her fantastic teapot, Rose is ready to put down roots. She sets about planting flower seeds in a neglected corner of a bustling city. And then she waits – through rain, and cold, and snow. Rose waits, never doubting that the garden she envisions will one day come to be. 

When Miss Violet from the garden club presents the residents of Pudding Street with a special award for prettiest flowers, no one--except for a clever dog and a busy bird--knows who has been doing all the planting. Includes author's note about seeds.

Fletcher loves everything about spring: listening to the birds sing, smelling just-opened flowers, and playing chase with butterflies. But then Fletcher sees something he never expected to see in spring: snow. Oh, no!

But it turns out that spring has another surprise in store for Fletcher—a warm and wondrous one.

Jump into spring with Fletcher nd friends!