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READY, SET, READ—AND
GET GARDENING WITH YOUR KIDS
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By Sara Barry
o you have a green thumb? Even if you’ve never
gardened, you may want to try it with your kids.
Gardening teaches a lot about the life cycles of
both plants and insects. Plants can look beautiful and
smell great - and they can taste good too! And as a
bonus, kids who grow veggies are often more likely to
try them. everything, but learns to wait for seeds to sprout, for
birds to eat the insects that are eating their plants.
The back of the book has suggested garden plans and
activities for each season.
You can grow plants almost anywhere. Try a patch of
your yard, a community garden plot, some planters on a
patio or roof deck, or even a few pots on a windowsill. The characters are largely unseen in this book, but dad
and kids grow vegetables and turn them into soup.
Ehlert’s unique illustration style includes labels to help
readers identify seeds, sprouts, and tools. The last page
includes a recipe for vegetable soup. Ehlert’s Planting a
Rainbow may be of interest too.
Need a little more inspiration? Try these books about
gardening to get you excited. Then go get your
hands dirty!
Growing Vegetable Soup, written and illustrated by
Lois Ehlert
GARDEN BOOKS TO Inspire Inch by Inch: The Garden Song, by David Mallett,
pictures by Ora Eitan
Grandpa’s Garden by Stella Fry The book features the classic song “Inch by Inch.” The
lyrics and images connect the gardener with natural
chains and cycles.
Billy gardens with his grandfather. He’s impatient about
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