ANNOTATION

Zinnia plants a garden, eagerly waits for the plants to grow, sells the beautiful flowers, then gathers seeds to plant the following year.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

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. The perfect tie-in to elementary biology units about plant growth-and school gardens-this book will be especially welcomed by teachers. It is a splendid addition to Monica Wellington's nonfiction for the very young and a true spring delight that's good in any season.

Author Bio: Monica Wellington was praised by Kirkus Reviews as "an artist whose talent is as sure as her design sense." She lives in New York City.

FROM THE CRITICS

Children's Literature - Chris Gill

Looking for a children's book that conveys not only the work involved in gardening, but also the wonder? That is what you will find in Zinnia's enthusiasm for growing things. Springtime finds Zinnia preparing her garden for planting. After planting and watering, Zinnia waits while the sun and rain nurture her seeds. While watering, weeding, and debugging, she measures her plants' progress. Buds appear and then finally her first bloom! Of course, a garden is not just for working. Zinnia paints, reads, and picnics among the blooms, butterflies, and bees. She cuts flowers for bouquets and enjoys their fragrance. One day, she even features a "Pick Your Own Flowers" event at her lemonade stand. At the end of the season, she saves seeds for next year. During the winter, Zinnia plans next year's garden. Each spread sports one page with Zinnia performing the tasks described on the opposite page. The text pages carry engaging borders naming cloud types, showing stages of germination, illustrating what different seedlings look like when they sprout, and showing excerpts from Zinnia's garden journal. Boldly-colored drawings mixed with cutouts of plant photos brighten every one of the 32 pages. The final page is an instruction list for growing your own flowers from seed. Wellington also wrote and illustrated Apple Farmer Annie and Firefighter Frank. 2005, Dutton Children's Books, Ages 4 to 7.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2-Wellington's familiar gouache cartoons skillfully meld with photographs of flowers for a merry trek through every season of gardening. Red-haired Zinnia, with the help of her cat and dog pals, demonstrates the skills that bring forth a brilliant wealth of blossoms. The author augments the discussion of the process with instructive border illustrations. Each spread also features tidbits of information such as the types of clouds, the life cycle of a butterfly, parts of a flower, or money math (atop the page of her lemonade and flower stand). Wellington wraps up the tale with a page of tips for growing one's own bouquets. A title that is rich in application and enjoyment.-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

A girl and her garden are the subject of this engaging outing. Wellington chronicles each step in the planting process, from tilling the soil and sowing seeds to harvesting those seeds at the end of the season. Her signature illustrations-bright, bold, and crisp-are accented with lively and informative detail, which ups the science factor. Color-copied photographs of seeds, buds, and flowers frame the text; a series of drawings spotlights the flowers' roots and shoots and a scientific drawing labels its parts. Also in the frame, the little girl's journal tracks the progress with simple entries and the date of news: "July 7. My sunflowers are so tall. I hate weeds." All of these factors create a successful germination of science and storytelling, growing a terrific introduction to the life cycle of plants and a good choice for young gardeners everywhere. (Picture book. 3-8)