This Is the Sunflower

This Is the Sunflower
Written by Lola M. Schaefer
Pictures by Donald Crews
Scholastic, 2000
22 pages
Picture Book

 

This is a great book that teaches children facts about how a plant grows.  The sunflower is very important to humans and animals.  Children will learn that sunflowers are more than just a pretty flower.  They will learn how every part of the sunflower can be used in this book.

            Sunflowers are one of my favorite flowers.  I love their beauty and eat sunflower seeds.  I enjoyed learning many new facts about the entire plant.  I was amazed to learn that there are seventeen different birds that feed on sunflowers.  By reading this book you will learn how the entire sunflower plant is used.

            Donald Crews illustrations help the reader relate to see how tall and straight the sunflower stands.  I liked how the houses and tress were crooked in comparison to the tall plant.  The medium used in this story is watercolor and the text type is Futura Bold.

            I could teach a science class a lesson on the five senses from this book.  One of the science lessons would be how the seed would grow in the ground.  I would also introduce the children to the variety of birds that feed from the sunflower seed.  I would also have sunflower seeds for them to eat and they would learn to use all their five senses of taste, touch, smell, see, and hearing.  Some of the sunflower seeds would be cracked and some whole.