Planting a Rainbow

A mother and child embark on a gardening project spanning multiple seasons. The story follows their process of planning, planting, and tending to flowers of different colors. The book features bold paper-cut illustrations showing bulbs, seeds, and blooms arranged by color. Each plant is labeled with its common name, allowing readers to identify familiar garden varieties. Through its vibrant artwork and straightforward narrative about nurturing plants, the book connects natural cycles to human cultivation. The growing process becomes a metaphor for patience, care, and the rewards of working with nature.

Parents and teachers repeatedly mention using this book to teach children about colors, flowers, and the growing cycle. Many note it works well for ages 2-6. Readers appreciate: - Bold, clear illustrations that help identify flowers - The sequential story of planting and growing - Large text suitable for early readers - Interactive aspects like counting and naming colors - Durability of the board book version Common criticisms: - Text too basic for older children - Some find illustrations too abstract - Limited narrative depth Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 4.16/5 (3,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.8/5 (1,400+ ratings) Scholastic: 4.5/5 (200+ ratings) One preschool teacher writes: "Students can identify the flowers in our garden after reading this book." A parent notes: "The paper version didn't last a week with my toddler - get the board book."

Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert A father and child plant, tend, and harvest vegetables before preparing them into soup, using bold illustrations that identify each vegetable and gardening tool.

Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner The book reveals the hidden world of growth happening above and below ground throughout the gardening season through detailed illustrations and science facts.

From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons The life cycle of plants unfolds through step-by-step illustrations that show the progression from seed to sprout to full-grown flowering plant.

The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle A seed's journey through the seasons demonstrates the plant life cycle through distinctive collage illustrations and natural science concepts.

Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney The story follows a woman who fulfills her grandfather's request to make the world more beautiful by planting lupine flowers throughout her coastal town.

🌈 Author Lois Ehlert grew up helping in her parents' garden, which inspired many of her nature-themed children's books. 🌷 The bold, vibrant illustrations in the book were created using Ehlert's signature collage technique with hand-cut paper. 🌺 The book introduces children to both common garden flower names and bulb planting techniques through a simple, sequential story. 🌸 Each flower in the book is depicted in its actual size relative to other flowers, helping children understand real-world plant proportions. 🌼 The rainbow theme of the book was inspired by Ehlert's observation that gardens naturally produce flowers in nearly every color of the spectrum throughout the growing season.