A Seed is the Start
by Melissa Stewart
National Geographic Kids (February 13, 2018)
Nonfiction * Science & Nature * Botany
Audience: Ages 6 to 9
Indiebound | WorldCat

Description from GoodReads:
Beautiful photography and lyrical text pair with comprehensive picture captions in award-winning author Melissa Stewart's story about the surprisingly diverse world of seeds. Learn all about the plant cycle, from how seeds grow, the fascinating ways they travel, and what it takes for a seed to become a plant.

Meet seeds that pop, hop, creep, and explode in this vividly illustrated introduction to the simplest concepts of botany. The story, which is perfect for elementary school Common Core learning, carefully highlights the many ways that seeds get from here to there, engaging children's curiosity with strong action verbs. Stunning photographs with fact-packed captions provide supporting details, explaining the role of seed features and functions in creating new generations of plants. Complete with an illustrated glossary and back matter featuring more resources, this book inspires wonder as it encourages budding botanists of all ages to look with new eyes at plants and their seeds.

Quick thoughts on the book:
One of the reasons that I love Melissa Stewart's books is because of the care and thought she puts into writing her books. Additionally, Melissa understands her audience, both students and teachers and what they need in a book. Her dedication to her craft is very evident as you read each page.

Though I am fond of the beautiful photos used in every National Geographic book, I am particularly drawn to the cover of A Seed is the Start. I recognize that authors often have little control in the selection of their covers. Consequently, I am thankful that National Geographic seemed to get it just right.

Another aspect of Melissa's books that I always appreciate is the way she levels her texts. Readers can read the lively descriptive text and then return to spend more time with the details and additional facts that accompany the various photographs.

Very young readers will celebrate the story aspect of this book and the vibrant photographs and well designed pages. Slightly older readers can collaboratively pour over the book and comment on the facts. And even older readers can use the book to support their own research and exploration of the world of seeds.

If you haven't checked out Melissa's website and blog, then you are missing out on a fabulous resource. I have included links to several posts created by Melissa to support the use of A Seed is the Start in the classroom.

Resources from Melissa Stewart's blog...
Blog Post: In the Classroom: A Science-Lit Activity for Grade 4 & 5 Students
Blog Post: In the Classroom: A Science-Lit Activity for Grade 3 Students
Blog Post: In the Classroom: A Science-Lit Activity for Grade 2 Students
Blog Post: In the Classroom: A Science-Lit Activity for Grade 1 Students
Blog Post: In the Classroom: A Science-Lit Activity for K Students

For additional books about seeds, check out Melissa's #NF10for10 post Celebrating Seeds!

Look for a copy of A Seed is the Start at your local indie bookstore or community library! This one is a must have for your classroom library.