Amazing Plant Powers: How Plants Fly, Fight, Hide, Hunt, and Change the World - Hardcover

Leedy, Loreen; Schuerger, Andrew

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0823422569 ISBN 13: 9780823422562

Publisher: Holiday House, 2015

Synopsis

Go beyond the basics of botany with this introduction to the strangest, coolest things plants can do.

You might already know that plants can turn light into food-- but did you know that some plants have to bend or climb to get to the light?

Join Spike E. Prickles, the charistmatic cactus host of this book, to learn about all the incredible things plants can do. From wet swamps to dry deserts to the arctic tundra, plants have adapted in a wide variety of ways to survive in all kinds of environment.

Bold photographs and bright illustrations highlight all sorts of surprising plant powers: defending themselves with sharp spines, regrowing from small cuttings, hiding from predators, surviving forest fires, and much more! Amazing Plant Powers is a fun, kid-friendly introduction to the wide, wild world of plants-- and why we need them.

Includes a glossary of important terms, and suggestions for fun plant projects readers can try on their own.

About this title

About the Author

Loreen Leedy's nonfiction books-- including 2 X 2=Boo, Seeing Symmetry, and more-- are staples in classrooms across the country. Her books have been ALA Notable books, Kirkus Reviews Best Books, and Booklist Editors Choices. Ms. Leedy lives in Florida. Learn more on her website at www.loreenleedy.com.

Dr. Andrew Schuerger is a research professor in the Department of Plant Pathology, University of Florida. His office and lab are in the Space Life Sciences Lab at the Kennedy Space Center, where he studies Mars astrobiology and plant-pathogen interactions.

From School Library Journal

K-Gr 3—In this inspired science guide, a cartoon cactus named Spike E. Prickles teaches readers about the special powers that plants possess, such as photosynthesis, the ability to grow in diverse environments, and the use of toxins to ward off hungry animals. Spike introduces himself as a TV-show host presenting on the world of plant life, an entertaining conceit sure to amuse kids. Though the text is comprised of short, accessible sentences, the pages are crammed with detailed photographs, accompanied by illuminating labels and captions, making this book more suited for individual browsing than group sharing. Along the way, three cartoon potted plants watching the show keep up a persistent chatter. While these asides from the peanut gallery may distract from the content, they also demonstrate how children form connections to what they already know, make observations about the visual content, and pose questions. VERDICT A great supplement to plant units, and a welcome introduction to informational texts.—Jennifer Wolf, Beaverton City Library, OR

About this edition

• Publisher: Holiday House
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0823422569
• ISBN 13: 9780823422562
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32