Grace's mystery seed by Juliet M. Sampson

Illus. by Karen Erasmus. Ford Street Publishing, 2019. ISBN: 9781925804201.
(Ages: 3-8) Themes: Neighbours, Gardening, Sunflowers. Grace's neighbour has the best garden in the whole street. It has a veggie patch, chooks, a fish pond, fruit trees and a friendly neighbour called Mrs Marino. Grace loves helping Mrs Marino feed the fish and pick the fruit, but feeding the birds is her favourite job. 'Polly likes these stripy seeds . . . What are they from?', Grace asks. Mrs Marino shows Grace where and how to plant the seeds so that they can see what will grow from them. Grace waits and waits and her seed starts to sprout, then it has leaves and before 'long it is much taller than her. Eventually, it has a bud right at the very top and one sunny day it opens: a sunflower!' Mrs Marino explains to Grace how sunflowers always turn towards the sun and Grace patiently watches all day to track its movements.
This is a lovely story that indirectly explains the life cycle of a seed and different elements of caring for a plant. It is perfect for classes exploring plant life and is a simple activity that children can emulate themselves. Grace's excitement and fascination with watching her plant grow is infectious and will definitely incite other children to become more curious about gardening. The writing and illustrations are simple but pleasant and the story itself is well-written and a cheerful read-aloud.
Nicole Nelson