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A Seed Grows
From tiny seed to a huge, fold-out bloom, the transformative life cycle of a sunflower plays out.
To understand how a seed becomes a sunflower, you have to peek beneath the soil and wait patiently as winding roots grow, a stalk inches out of the earth, and new seeds emerge among blooming petals.
"A seed falls,
And settles into the ground,
And the Sun shines,
And the rain comes down,
And the seed grows..."
Leading up to a fold-out spread of a full-grown sunflower, the illustrations in A Seed Grows offer a close-up view of each step of the growth cycle.
Additional material in the back of the book explains the science of plant life cycles, and goes into more detail on the ways in which flowers and seeds depend on other creatures.
To understand how a seed becomes a sunflower, you have to peek beneath the soil and wait patiently as winding roots grow, a stalk inches out of the earth, and new seeds emerge among blooming petals.
"A seed falls,
And settles into the ground,
And the Sun shines,
And the rain comes down,
And the seed grows..."
Leading up to a fold-out spread of a full-grown sunflower, the illustrations in A Seed Grows offer a close-up view of each step of the growth cycle.
Additional material in the back of the book explains the science of plant life cycles, and goes into more detail on the ways in which flowers and seeds depend on other creatures.
40 pages, Hardcover
Published June 21, 2022
About the author
Antoinette Portis
30 books122 followersAntoinette attended the UCLA School of Fine Arts and is a former creative director at Disney. She lives in Southern California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
July 26, 2022
I've probably read too many of this type of book as I wasn't particularly wowed. However, my youngest loved it and had fun reading it to me, so that makes it special! :-) It does have vibrant illustrations and I liked the full-circle aspect with the lifecycle of the sunflower plant (from seed through to flowering, then seeds dispersing to start anew) and the back matter explaining the different parts of the sunflower and "More to Explore" books list is appreciated.
August 20, 2023
I wish I had remembered that I had this book on my iPad when my grandchildren were visiting. We could have read the book and then, after reading about the different phases of a this plant, gone outside and admire the sunflowers growing in my garden.
Not only do I love the illustrations here, I love how the simple text can be embraced by beginning readers.
I appreciated the additional information at the back of the book that includes a visual lifecycle.
This is a brilliant nonfiction text for new readers.
Not only do I love the illustrations here, I love how the simple text can be embraced by beginning readers.
I appreciated the additional information at the back of the book that includes a visual lifecycle.
This is a brilliant nonfiction text for new readers.
October 13, 2023
Read to me by my granddaughter on her 7th birthday.
January 4, 2023
Elementary teachers are always looking for books about seeds and plants and how plants grow. This one with its positively gorgeous illustrations easily meets their requirements and will add immeasurably to a lesson on this process. Even the endpapers feature a close-up view of the center of a sunflower with its almost impossible-to-count number of seeds packed together. The cyclical nature of this process--how a seed somehow falls and grows and then the process starts over again as once again a seed falls, thanks to a bird--is depicted step by step in the striking artwork, created with "various printmaking techniques, including gel printing, linocutting, potato stamping and printing with a celery stick," according to the copyright page. A vertical gatefold adds even more interest to the book, making it gasp-worthy while also quite accessible and appropriate for its intended audience since the author has chosen simple words for the text. An excellent first book on this particular topic, it also includes in the back matter graphics and labeled images of the parts of a sunflower seed, requirements for sprouting, parts of a fully-grown sunflower plant, and the entire life cycle of a sunflower as well as additional resources to learn even more. This picture book is a must-have for a classroom science library for the younger set.
October 4, 2022
Loved the bold colors, colorful text type for action verbs, and sequence of the life cycle of a sunflower. Great for our emergent readers.
July 1, 2022
Antoinette Portis has been a favorite author/illustrator of mine for some time and this title will now be another favorite of mine. In sparse prose and vivid illustrations Portis shows a sunflower seed in its life cycle and brings at the end depicts a bird scattering a seed for another sunflower to grow. Portis includes a short bibliography as well as some illustrations on three extension pages illustrated the basic facts presented in the text.
October 11, 2023
Shows the life cycle of a sunflower. Great info and great illustrations.
May 13, 2024
Are you looking for a sing-song-style nonfiction picture book for young students? A Seed Grows by Antoinette Portis contains interactive folding pages and repeating vocabulary words, making it perfect to use as an interactive read-aloud book that would keep students engaged! Beginning in the exposition with a seed falling, and finishing in the conclusion with the same phrase, the story follows the lifecycle of a sunflower plant. Ranging from sunlight, water, soil, and even birds, this picture book would align perfectly with a science unit that illustrates what plants need to thrive. My favorite spread was when the reader was able to unfold pages to reveal a beautiful bright yellow sunflower. I also loved the spread that illustrated the rain that needs to fall for seeds to grow, for the rain seemed to fall right off the page. This book was engaging and entertaining to read and interact with, and I simply could not wait to read it to my future students!
November 9, 2022
A
seed
falls
and settles into the
soil
and the
sun
shines
OMG. I think I have a crush on this book or on Antoinette Portis (because I adore everything she creates).
Regardless, this book is BEAUTIFUL. The sparse prose is beautiful. The illustrations are beautiful. And the joy any adult and child or group of children who experience this book will feel is beautiful!!!
While it can be read aloud to early childhood students, it can also be a great resource for primary grade students. The back matter raises the bar a little. Still very kid friendly but requires a little higher level of comprehension. Includes nice diagram of the "life cycle of a sunflower plant" too.
seed
falls
and settles into the
soil
and the
sun
shines
OMG. I think I have a crush on this book or on Antoinette Portis (because I adore everything she creates).
Regardless, this book is BEAUTIFUL. The sparse prose is beautiful. The illustrations are beautiful. And the joy any adult and child or group of children who experience this book will feel is beautiful!!!
While it can be read aloud to early childhood students, it can also be a great resource for primary grade students. The back matter raises the bar a little. Still very kid friendly but requires a little higher level of comprehension. Includes nice diagram of the "life cycle of a sunflower plant" too.
October 6, 2022
As a new mom I read non-fiction books by Gail Gibbons to my babies (The Mile Makers was a favorite!) Today, new parents can read Antoinette Portis books to inform, teach & spark imaginations in young minds.
August 4, 2023
5 stars. A perfect mix of text and pictures! One sentence with a keyword printed with the coloring of the item in the facing picture. Fun foldout page of the grown sunflower! The full cycle of life and plant info and resources in the back matter.
March 15, 2023
Simple text and bold graphics show the life cycle of a sunflower plant. Backmatter expands on the facts and gives further reading suggestions.
December 31, 2022
Clever book that shows the life cycle of a Sunflower. Easy for preschoolers to understand with beautiful illustrations and nice use of typography with color.
September 17, 2022
Antoinette Portis is a master at delivering great picture books for the youngest readers. I love the simplicity of this book, the wonderful illustrations, and the touch of coloring the "key" word on the page to the illustration.
December 11, 2022
This book is powerful in its simplicity. I would read this to children as young as two years old. But this is also a great book for children in the lower elementary grades. I can see a teacher or librarian building a unit with this book as part of the curriculum. I would have the children help plant sunflower seeds on the west or south side of the school building so that they can watch the seeds turn to plants to flowers to seeds -- as the story goes.
The back matter includes parts of a sunflower seed, what the seed needs to sprout, parts of a sunflower plant, and the life cycle of a sunflower plant.
There is also a list of additional resources, primarily book titles, but there is a link to the Wiki How on how to grow sunflowers from seeds.
This would also make a wonderful book for a grandparent to read to his / her kids on visits and they can grow sunflowers together!
The back matter includes parts of a sunflower seed, what the seed needs to sprout, parts of a sunflower plant, and the life cycle of a sunflower plant.
There is also a list of additional resources, primarily book titles, but there is a link to the Wiki How on how to grow sunflowers from seeds.
This would also make a wonderful book for a grandparent to read to his / her kids on visits and they can grow sunflowers together!
August 27, 2023
A simple, yet elegant introduction to the life cycle of a sunflower plant and general plant science for wee ones. Endnotes include descriptions of the parts of a sunflower, the resources that seeds need to sprout, the sunflower life cycle, and list of sources for further study. Bold illustrations with a fabulous sunflower fold-out.
November 17, 2022
Antoinette Portis once again delivers a book that is perfect in its simplicity. A few words on each spread describe a seed falling to the ground, sprouting and blossoming. Font color and size change to match the images, showing the stages of germination. All the ingredients are there; the seed reacts to soil, sun, rain, and then once again a seed falls from the new flower. She makes it so clear and easy to understand, yet lovely to observe. “A seed falls / and settles into the soil /and the sun shines…” After the flower – a sunflower – blooms and fills with seeds, “…a seed falls.”, completing the cycle.
The artwork uses various printmaking techniques, including “potato stamping and printing with a celery stalk” and has the visual appeal of Eric Carle’s collage images. A vertical gatefold opens out when the bud becomes a flower. The circle of life is perfectly condensed for the understanding of a very young child. Two pages of further information follow, along with a list of sources. Children and their teachers will make much use of this stellar book of plant ecology.
The artwork uses various printmaking techniques, including “potato stamping and printing with a celery stalk” and has the visual appeal of Eric Carle’s collage images. A vertical gatefold opens out when the bud becomes a flower. The circle of life is perfectly condensed for the understanding of a very young child. Two pages of further information follow, along with a list of sources. Children and their teachers will make much use of this stellar book of plant ecology.
April 3, 2023
In her typically sparse style, Portis presents a step-by-step account of a sunflower's life cycle. The journey begins with a seed taking root in the soil and concludes with the plant's mature bloom-producing seeds that, once dispersed by birds, generate new growth.
The text is structured as one continuous sentence, with fragments of it appearing on each page alongside full-colour illustrations. The layout effectively emphasizes the sunflower's height and majesty, culminating in a switch from horizontal to vertical pages and a lovely gatefold.
The book uses uncomplicated language that young children can access, showcasing the marvel of a seed's early growth and the interconnectedness of nature. The back matter features spot art illustrating parts of a sunflower seed and plant, as well as four essential ingredients for seed germination and a life cycle diagram.
The text is structured as one continuous sentence, with fragments of it appearing on each page alongside full-colour illustrations. The layout effectively emphasizes the sunflower's height and majesty, culminating in a switch from horizontal to vertical pages and a lovely gatefold.
The book uses uncomplicated language that young children can access, showcasing the marvel of a seed's early growth and the interconnectedness of nature. The back matter features spot art illustrating parts of a sunflower seed and plant, as well as four essential ingredients for seed germination and a life cycle diagram.
June 24, 2023
I know I have seen this book in multiple primary classrooms during my years of teaching but I don't know that I ever took the time to sit down and really read it before today. I really like how the simple text (it's much harder to write good sparse text than wordier text) looks at each stage of a sunflower's growth. I also love the illustrations and would try to do some stamped pictures with students when they write a journal about their own plant growth to show them how they can be inspired by an author. The backmatter is wonderful and this is a book to use with all grades. In the older grades I'd love to even use it as a writing mentor text. I would have the students write the life cycle of a sunflower first and then compare their texts to this one to show how much thought is needed to good sparse language that keeps you reading. A great book for all classroom libraries.
June 1, 2023
For more bookish opinions, visit my blog: Craft-Cycle
Beautiful in its simplicity. Portis wonderfully captures the life cycle of a sunflower in this colorful picture book. Follow a seed through each step of development, highlighting the elements needed for growth - soil, sunlight, water, and air, as the cycle repeats itself.
Short, simple phrases on each page cover each step. Lovely, colorful illustrations. A great introduction to how plants grow.
At the back of the book is additional information including parts of the sunflower and plant, what a seed needs, an illustration of the entire life cycle, and a list of further books to explore.
A stunning non-fiction, picture book.
Beautiful in its simplicity. Portis wonderfully captures the life cycle of a sunflower in this colorful picture book. Follow a seed through each step of development, highlighting the elements needed for growth - soil, sunlight, water, and air, as the cycle repeats itself.
Short, simple phrases on each page cover each step. Lovely, colorful illustrations. A great introduction to how plants grow.
At the back of the book is additional information including parts of the sunflower and plant, what a seed needs, an illustration of the entire life cycle, and a list of further books to explore.
A stunning non-fiction, picture book.
September 14, 2023
This book is about the life cycle of a seed and how it grows. It starts by falling to the ground and sinking into the dirt. Then the rain falls and the sun shines and the seed starts to grow into a plant. Then the plant grows taller and taller until it's a sunflower! Then the sunflower's seeds fall to the ground and it all begins again.
I really enjoyed this book! It was short and sweet, but it was full of information about seeds and plants and how they grow. I loved how well it followed the cycle of a seed and the last pages having the full cycle illustrated on them.
This book would be helpful to read during a science unit talking about plants. It was an easy read so I could even have students read it as a group in stations or something like that.
I really enjoyed this book! It was short and sweet, but it was full of information about seeds and plants and how they grow. I loved how well it followed the cycle of a seed and the last pages having the full cycle illustrated on them.
This book would be helpful to read during a science unit talking about plants. It was an easy read so I could even have students read it as a group in stations or something like that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 14, 2023
Star rating: 5 Stars
Copyright date: 2022
Awards: Robert Sibert Honor
Genre: Picture Book, Nature, Science
Summary of book: In this book we follow the life cycle of a seed. We watch as the seed starts small and grows to be very big and beautiful. Then as it gets old and loses its seeds again, the birds are able to use them. Then the cycle restarts all over again. Additionally, there is some science information on Sunflowers and life cycles after the story.
Thoughts on the book: I think this is a great book that shows growth and change. It also has a balance of science with story. In a classroom, I would use this for a science lesson of life cycles. I would have students create a similar story of their own with different cycles.
Copyright date: 2022
Awards: Robert Sibert Honor
Genre: Picture Book, Nature, Science
Summary of book: In this book we follow the life cycle of a seed. We watch as the seed starts small and grows to be very big and beautiful. Then as it gets old and loses its seeds again, the birds are able to use them. Then the cycle restarts all over again. Additionally, there is some science information on Sunflowers and life cycles after the story.
Thoughts on the book: I think this is a great book that shows growth and change. It also has a balance of science with story. In a classroom, I would use this for a science lesson of life cycles. I would have students create a similar story of their own with different cycles.
January 18, 2023
"A Seed Grows" is my new "go-to" picture book to celebrate the end of a spring Story Time series before the fall return. I envision helping young readers/listeners examine the final pages of the text (detailing parts of a seed/plant; the life cycle of a sunflower plant) and creating a memento with packages of sunflower seeds and a farewell poem. My mind *bloomed* with ideas as I soaked in each page...a delight!
Publication Date: 2022
Format: Picture book
Elements: Bold illustrations and typeface; fold-out oversized page; nonfiction reference pages
Connection/Topics: Life cycle of a sunflower plant; seeds; weather
Publication Date: 2022
Format: Picture book
Elements: Bold illustrations and typeface; fold-out oversized page; nonfiction reference pages
Connection/Topics: Life cycle of a sunflower plant; seeds; weather
February 2, 2023
I enjoyed the simple, sparse style. There are other books that are similar: Ten Seeds, Big Yellow Sunflower, and Sunflower by Ford. However this is well done. Backmatter includes: Parts of the seed, what a seed needs to germinate, parts of a sunflower plant, life cycle and a list for more to explore.
Siebert Honor Book.
Siebert Honor Book.
February 14, 2023
A Seed Grows written and illustrated by Antoinette Portis – 2023 Geisel Honor book and 2023 Sibert Honor book this full color nonfiction picture book takes young readers through the life cycle of a sunflower. From seed through growth, to flowers to seed disbursement, the youngest readers will learn how a plant grows in simple language with engaging illustrations made of various print making techniques. Back matter includes parts of a seed, what the seed needs to grow, the parts of the plant as well as an illustrated representation of the life cycle itself. Overall a wonderful book for the youngest gardeners and a must have for any primary class studying plants. Grades PK-2.
November 29, 2023
I think that this book would be great for kindergarten or first grade students. This book talks about all the steps that come when a seed is planted and trying to grow. The images in this book are also very simple as they show every step taking place. Along with that, the words are very minimal so it can make this a great book for younger children to work with in a science class lesson. I also think that this book is great for these ages because it shows why sun, water, and oxygen are all incorporated in the process of a seed growing, and why plants are so important. Overall I gave this book 4/5 stars because yet it is very simple it can be a very useful book in any younger classroom.
December 3, 2022
I've been going through some of the children's picture books that made lists for the best of 2022. This was one. Its simplicity in art and language is aimed at very young readers, and then there's a two-page explanation at the end that will help parents answer questions that little ones might have.
If you want to impart to a child how a sunflower works, this book is perfect. If you want a book that might have enjoyment for the adult, too, or to lend itself to multiple readings, I don't see this one working well.
If you want to impart to a child how a sunflower works, this book is perfect. If you want a book that might have enjoyment for the adult, too, or to lend itself to multiple readings, I don't see this one working well.
October 7, 2023
A seed grows, 2022
Orbis Pictus
The story "A Seed Grows" describes the journey a seed takes from seed to fully developed blossom. It demonstrates the procedures that the seed must go through, such as precipitation, sprouting, and growth.
Using this book to teach kids about the growth cycle and plant life cycle in the classroom. This exquisitely drawn book can serve as a jumping-off point for science lectures on plant development as well as act as an inspiration for conversations about patience, tenacity, and the beauties of nature.
Orbis Pictus
The story "A Seed Grows" describes the journey a seed takes from seed to fully developed blossom. It demonstrates the procedures that the seed must go through, such as precipitation, sprouting, and growth.
Using this book to teach kids about the growth cycle and plant life cycle in the classroom. This exquisitely drawn book can serve as a jumping-off point for science lectures on plant development as well as act as an inspiration for conversations about patience, tenacity, and the beauties of nature.
June 11, 2024
Continuing my read of Sibert Winners and Honors. This was one of the simplest Sibert awards. A short picture book with not a lot of text, but a pretty good afterword. This doesn't get lost in the science and just sticks with the circle of life, in this case the circle of sunflower life. Good enough art, good enough text, just simply well executed. It did show the hard shell casing ending up on the surface which is not something I expected - but if accurate, is something new that I learned from this book.
May 21, 2023
A Seed Grows is a brilliantly, beautiful picture book about the life cycle of a sunflower. Antoinette Portis’s art was created with a variety of printmaking techniques, including gel printing, Lino cutting, potato stamping, and printing with a celery stalk! How intriguing! There is so much to talk about when reading this book. Includes back matter. Perfect for reading when planting a sunflower seed and watching it grow. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews