Growing Season by author and illustrator Maryann Cocca-Leffler is a charming story of
friendship and expectations for children 4-8.
El and Jo are best
friends. They are also the shortest kids in class, and they bond over the many
ways they are alike. But come spring, Jo starts to grow and suddenly, they
aren’t so alike after all.
Cocca-Lefffler makes
clever use of the notion that Spring is a time of change by selecting plants as
stand-ins for El and Jo. When summer break arrives, each student gets to choose
a flower to take home and plant. Jo is quick to take a blooming Zinnia. Little El
has a difficult time reaching the shelf and by the time she does, there’s only
a very small, very plain Aster left that doesn’t have a single blossom. Jo is
leaving on vacation, so she gifts her friend with the Zinnia and El devotes
herself to caring for the two very different flowers. She plants them
side-by-side, waters them, and talks to them. Despite all her care, the Aster
doesn’t seem likely to ever catch up with the beautiful Zinnia. Jo’s return is celebrated with a visit to the
garden, where El discovers that her Aster has finally blossomed and so has,
she!
The bright watercolor
illustrations are a perfect compliment for the lively text. An author’s note on
the last page, PLANT LIFE CYCLES, highlights fun facts and offers information
about how annual, perennial, and biennial flowers grow.
This is a wonderful
book to add to your spring collection purely for the delight of reading. It’s
also an ideal choice for introducing the topic of plants or encouraging a
discussion of change.
Recommended for home,
school, and library collections.
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