From Lynne Waihee
Spring is in the air, and with it new life and new beginnings. When I think about spring, I am reminded of my college years in Michigan, when the crocuses would sprout, and the daffodils and apple blossoms would bloom—such an exciting time after months of snow and overcast skies.
For our children, Spring is a suitable time to read those books which portray life and its beginnings. “A little boy planted a carrot seed. His mother said, ‘I’m afraid it won’t come up.’ His father said, ‘I’m afraid it won’t come up.’ And his big brother said, ‘It won’t come up.’” So begins Ruth Krauss’s The Carrot Seed, a simple, charming story about patience and determination.
Consider reading this to your child, along with The Little Lima Bean by Brent Ching and Pua Polū the Pretty Blue Hawaiian Flower by Nona Beamer. The latter is beautifully illustrated in block printing by Caren Keala Loebel-Fried, and comes with a CD performance of “Lei o Hā‘ena (“Beloved Child of Hā‘ena) by Nona and Keola Beamer.
Older children will enjoy The Curious Garden by Peter Brown, a strikingly-illustrated story which appeals to children of all ages and is recommended for children four years and older. The story celebrates the perseverance and creativity of a young boy who discovers and nourishes a small garden growing in his drab, concrete city. With his help, plants spread throughout the city, creating a lush landscape tended by the boy and his fellow community members.
You may also enjoy reading a couple of my favorites, Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney, an American Book Award winner about a little girl who has three wishes in life; and The Lotus Seed by Sherry Garland, an American Library Association’s Notable Children’s Book which tells of a young girl who plucks a seed from a lotus pod in the Imperial garden during the waning days of the civil war in Vietnam. Both books trace the lives of two young ladies who eventually find fulfillment through the planting of seeds.
As an extended activity, readers may plant seeds with their children by making little pots from old newspaper, filling them with potting soil and planting a few seeds. Lima beans work especially well, and children will be thrilled to see the shoots of the lima beans, which grow in no time if kept watered and placed in sunshine. Log on to www.wikihow.com/Make-Newspaper-Seedling-Pots to get directions on making these simple pots. Or, see our Facebook note on a simple bean-growing experiment. You may be inspired to plant some seeds yourself!
Happy reading and happy planting!
