Reading Level: Grade 2 Interest Level: Grades K – 3
A coconut that you buy at the store can be used to make lots of tasty foods. It is big, brown, and hairy. How did it get that way? Beginning readers will discover how a coconut seed turns into a coconut palm that bears lots of coconuts in clear, simple steps in this basic introduction to plant development.
Each simply written book in the See it Grow series traces the life cycle of a plant from seed to shoot to full grown specimen that produces its own flowers, fruits, and seeds, which begin the cycle again. Short, simple sentences comment on the changes taking place in the stock photos, which are well chosen for their clarity in illustrating the stages of growth. Several clearly delineated, juxtaposed photos show the plant's development from seed to sprout, with roots gradually developing in the soil as the shoot emerges and grows upright. Comment boxes provide additional information about matters such as the size of the full grown plant, its typical habitat, or contributions made by parts of the plant. In Coconut, a box notes that the trees can grow as tall as 10story buildings. Focused on particular plants and colorfully illustrated, the series offers useful, attractive books for library collections serving younger students.
Coconuts are fun to look at in the store and even better to eat, and this book take a peek at exactly how they grow. Coconuts aren't a fruit kids necessarily see every day, nor do they look anything like most fruits. After a quick description of the coconut, this book dives into the entire growing process from seed to sprout to tree, and highlights a few interesting tidbits along the way. My daughter wanted to get her hands on this one. Coconuts are fascinating, and the descriptions in these pages bring the growing process down into a clear way beginner readers (or younger listeners) will understand. The text is simple, very much so, and sticks to only two sentences per a page spread. The vocabulary is basic and direct, making sure the younger readers can learn without becoming frustrated with the words. This covers the basics of the growth of a coconut, following from the seed, the layers inside, what the sprout looks like, the trees and the flowering. The bright photographs don't only give a real impression of the coconuts, the environment and the trees, but do a great job in making the sprouting process clear. There's an extra page of more advanced Coconut Facts at the end, a glossary, index and even the website address where kids can learn a little more. But by no means is this an advanced book. The layout is thought for the younger age groups and keeps everything at this level. Readers will have a good understanding of coconuts after this book and will want to try one. . .so beware.
