Reading Level: Grade 1 Interest Level: Grades K – 3
There are many different types of mushrooms. These fungi grow in different shapes, colors, and sizes! In this title, leveled text and vivid photos combine to introduce beginning readers to the stages of mushroom growth. Labeled photos and a picture glossary reinforce the text, while special features highlight what mushrooms need to grow, how people can use mushrooms, and the mushroom’s life cycle.
This entry in the See It Grow! series (6 titles) introduces the concept of fungi (living things that grow from spores) and describes the life cycle of a mushroom: a spore grows strings that form stalks with caps that eventually release more spores. Chang describes an ideal habitat (cool and damp with dead plant matter) and explains that some mushrooms can grow very quickly, doubling in size in a day. She also mentions uses (tea, food, and ink) but offers no additional details. The illustrations include crisp full-color photographs and some drawings, rendered mostly in blues and greens. Important words appear in bold type and are defined in the glossary. Although no individual species are identified, and there is no discussion of poisonous fungi, this makes an attractive introduction to this topic.', Kay Weisman, Booklist,'This See It Grow series focuses on different fruits and vegetables, explaining in very simple language how the plant grows and flourishes. A Blastoff Reader, the book uses text features effectively with diagrams, textboxes, and boldfaced words to help young readers understand the growth process. Vibrant photographs with close ups of the fruit or vegetable provide a perfect compliment to the basic text. Science teachers covering plant life or young readers learning to read independently will find this attractive series useful. Includes glossary, index, and supplementary material. THOUGHTS: The size of these books are just right for little hands. The pictures teach as much as the text, and the large print text is ideal for beginning readers. This series is a good selection for lessons on plant growth.
