Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Hitchhiking, catapulting, and drifting--these are just three of the ways seeds move. Thirteen other forms of seed dispersal are described, all illustrated with large, colorful digital illustrations. The final pages encourage readers to try growing a seed themselves. While the text and illustrations are engaging and fairly informative, curious readers may be left with questions; back matter would have been helpful. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Page examines how seeds move from their parent plants to places where they can sprout and grow.The simple prose relies on action verbs for punch, if not scientific accuracy: A seed may "hitchhike," "catapult," "parachute," or even "plop"in the poop of a berry-eating bear. Some spreads depict related actions: The large, buoyant seeds of the coconut palm and monkey-ladder vine can both drop into water and "drift" or "float" off, perhaps finding an auspicious shore for propagation. Particularly intriguing are seeds adapted in ways that encourage animals to mobilize them. Bloodroot seeds contain a morsel tasty to ants, which carry the seeds to their nest to eat and bury. The seeds of an unspecified African grass look and smell like antelope droppings, tricking dung beetles into rolling them underground. Farmers and gardeners are also acknowledged, and kids are encouraged to plant a watermelon seed "and see what happens." Crisply delineated against white space, digital illustrations use color, texture, and form to depict striking, identifiable images that are nonetheless stylized rather than scientific. Some of Page's choices in visual perspective may confound children curious about the sizes of seeds and animals. No geographical or biological information is provided for the plants and animals depicteda missed opportunity to further engage young readers.A pleasant but facile introduction to the important concept of seed dispersal. (Informational picture book. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.