Kid's First Book of Gardening: Growing Plants Indoors and Out (Start exploring) - Softcover

Derek Fell

9780894717505: Kid's First Book of Gardening: Growing Plants Indoors and Out (Start exploring)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0894717502 ISBN 13: 9780894717505

Publisher: Running Press, 1989

Presents information on soil, seeds, easy-to-grow flowers, flowers that keep blooming, bulbs, vegetables, fruits, trees, shrubs, house plants, gardening in containers, and unusual plants.

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From School Library Journal:

Grade 4-6-- Superficial coverage of ten different kinds of gardening, including outdoor and container gardening. The text is chatty but written with careless repetitions and misleading statements such as, "to plant scientists there isn't any difference" between fruits and vegetables. Fell emhasizes plants of unusual colors, sizes, or habit; but gives cursory coverage--or omits entirely-- basic information such as how to water. To start seeds, he recommends peat pellets but neglects to mention using simple, free materials such as milk cartons. The front cover, a charming collage in color, belies the interior black-and-white illustrations. Small gray photos depict children (often much younger than the intended audience) with enormous watermelons, pumpkins, etc. Outnumbering the photos are informal line drawings that are neither decorative nor informative. The Rafertys' Kids Gardening: A Kid's Guide to Messing Around in the Dirt (Klutz Pr, 1989) or Angela Wilkes' Growing Things (EDC, 1986 ) are better choices . John Seymour's Gardening Book (Whizzard, 1978; o.p.) will delight slightly older readers. --Sharon Levin, University of Vermont, Burlington
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly:

Although considerable interest in children's gardening has emerged in recent years, very few books have been written on the subject. That's why this effort is such a disappointment, especially given the author's fine reputation as a gardening writer. Too much information has been omitted to make the book usable by a young novice gardener. Fell spells out phonetically some words (bacteria, zinnia), but not others (fibrous, transplanted); readers may well be bewildered when encountering unfamiliar terms. Regarding garden planning, he is too vague about vegetable spacing, instructing readers to check the seed packet. The activities in the book are fun--growing the biggest pumpkin, tomato and watermelon, for instance, would entice a child, as would the "garbage garden" section on growing houseplants from seeds and pits. But for the most part, this book doesn't seem exciting or detailed enough to interest its audience. Ages 8-up.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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