...
~ The story ~
It is all set in the present tense (which is the only element of this that I'm not overly keen on)
The story begins in:
Autumn ~ when the strong wind blows flower seeds and carries them in all different directions.
Amongst all of the seeds there is one tiny seed ... Read review
When the tiny seed is blown away from its parent plant, it travels a very long way - over ... more
seas, deserts and mountains. The tiny seed survives the hazards of the journey and finally falls onto fertile earth. It grows and grows, becoming the tallest, biggest flower for miles around.
Advantages: Great illustrations. Teaches about the life cycle of a seed. Disadvantages: Not for pre-school children as longer than Carle's usual stories.
...children to teach them about the life cycle of a seed and the seasons and weather conditions associated with each season.
~ The story ~
It is all set in the present tense (which is the only element of this that I'm not overly keen on)
The story begins in:
Autumn ~ when the strong wind blows flower seeds and carries them in all different directions.
Amongst all of the seeds there is ... ...able to keep up with the others.
It tells of all the hazards faced by seeds, e.g. landing on an icy mountain, falling in to the ocean, landing in the desert where it never rains, being eaten by a bird!
But thanks to it's 'tiny-ness' the bird doesn't see the tiny seed and it settles down in to the earth........
Winter ~ As the seeds are in the ground which is covered by snow, a little mouse comes along ... more
I use this book with Reception and Year 1 children to teach them about the life cycle of a seed and the seasons and weather conditions associated with each season.
~ The story ~
It is all set in the present tense (which is the only element of this that I'm not overly keen on)
The story begins in: Autumn ~ when the strong wind blows flower seeds and carries them in all different directions.
Amongst all of the seeds there is one tiny seed and the question is poised as to whether it will be able to keep up with the others.
It tells of all the hazards faced by seeds, e.g. landing on an icy mountain, falling in to the ocean, landing in the desert where it never rains, being eaten by a bird!
But thanks to it's 'tiny-ness' the bird doesn't see the tiny seed and it settles down in to the earth........
Winter ~ As the seeds are in the ground which is covered by snow, a little mouse comes along and eats some of the seeds.
Spring ~ Sun and rain come along and the seeds begin to open and become plants whereas the tiny seed hasn't started yet.
One of the smaller plants is overshadowed by a huge weed and dies.
Another hazard for the new plants are the children who run around and play in the gardens and fields......
The tiny seed is now beginning to grow but it's friends are much bigger and some are even growing flowers but oh no!!!! a boy comes along and picks the flowering plant and breaks it.
Summer ~ The tiny seed / plant, continues to grow and grow, taller than the people, the trees, the houses and a flower has grown at the top of it.
All summer long the bees and butterflies visit the now giant flower .
Autumn again ~ the wind blows and the flower loses it's petals and out come all of it's seeds that now have a long journey to make!
~ Illustrations ~
For me, the illustrations in this book 'make' it and manage to hold younger children's attention.
They are incredibly bright, vibrant and bold and use the Eric Carle collage effect trademark style.
The 'huge' foot of the child standing on the new plants demonstrates to children how big they are in comparison to new plants and does make them think a little more about caring about nature.
My favourite picture is when the tiny seed is a beautiful, giant flower, rich in vibrant colours thereby attracting bees, butterflies and birds.
~ Style ~
This text is a lot more complex than the other Eric Carle books that I have reviewed. I attempted to read this to Nursery children but changed the text slightly to shorten it so as to hold their attention.
There is no 'chant' for the children to join in with which is unusual for one of Carle's books.
~ Age Range ~
Due to the length of text and style used, I have found this to be more appropriate for 5 years and upwards, although younger children do like the pictures and rather than reading all of the text, the children can draw a great deal from the drawings.
~ Educational values ~
Teaches children about the seasons and the weather conditions associated with each season.
Educates children to the life-cycle of a seed.
Helps children know what is necessary for a seed to grow.
With older children, the message of the importance of perseverance can be discussed, i.e. the seed never gave up despite all of the hazards it faced.
From a PSE angle the following can be discussed: we all have paths we have to follow, it doesn't matter who is bigger or faster etc because we can all eventually 'bloom' in to beautiful beings.
~ Price and Publisher ~A range of publishers:
Siomn & Schuster Childrens Books
Aladdin paperbacks
Puffin
Scholastic Inc
My Puffin paperback ISBN: 0-14-055713-X was £4.99 but I have found the following available at www.amazon.co.uk: Paperback used and new from 54p Boardbook used and new from £2.71 Hard cover used and new from £2.59This isn't my most favourite of Carle's books for pre-school children but it is an invaluable teaching / educational resource for 5 - 7 year olds. Well worth a read for it's science based teaching in story form!
Advantages: Timesless story about life cycle and seasons Disadvantages: Could be overlooked!
When I started teaching in the 1980's (how old?), Eric Carle was "the " author of the time and his books seemed to take pride of place on the shelves in every primary school library. Over the years, with the emergence of so many new authors and a dazzling array of genres, this has changed, but the books can still be found in schools, and are still widely read.
WHY THE REVIEW?
Earlier this week, I was asked to teach a science lesson to a class of ... ...it was a "return to the past" and what a great revisit it turned out to be.
THE STORY
It is basically a story about…wait for it… a tiny seed. No surprises there, and is neatly divided into seasons
Autumn
The wind blows, the seeds are blown from the flower and begin their hazardous journey across the land. There is one seed, smaller than the others, and thought provoking questions are asked of the children "Will it be able to keep up with the ...
danielalong 08.12.2005
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Tiny Seed - Eric Carle
Advantages: can be enjoyed by both older and younger children Disadvantages: none
The Tiny Seed is a children's picture book with Carle's beautiful and original style of illustration telling the story of the journey of a tiny seed through the seasons and charting its growth. Like many of his books the story is simple and focusses on nature, helping children to learn whilst enjoying a story.
The story begins with seeds being blown by the wind. The tiny seed is so small that it avoids the dangers that befall other bigger seeds ... ...story ends with the flower's seeds being blown by the wind and so the cycle begins again.
My daughter has enjoyed this book from the age of 2 onwards. The story is so simple and pictures clear that young children can just enjoy it as an adventure story for plants! Now that she's older she gets more from it - how seeds get blown around and what they need to grow. It also gets a child thinking of seasons and what happens during each part of the year. ...
baberuth15 13.05.2004
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of The Tiny Seed - Eric Carle
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Reviews which might be of interest for "The Tiny Seed - Eric Carle"
Advantages: Bright, bold illustrations, encourages children to interact. Disadvantages: None
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My book is published by Puffin and cost £5.99 but if you check out Amazon.co.uk they are selling them for £3.99 with free P&P for orders over £25.
ISBN: 0-14-056378-4
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EricCarle has written a vast number of books, here are a few:
The tinyseed
The very busy spider
The very hungry caterpillar
The bad tempered ladybird
Rooster's off to see the world
Today is Monday
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?
I have used all of the above and many more with young children and they have never failed to be a 'hit'! ...
Advantages: Bright, colourful book, teaches the days of the week and life cycle of a caterpillar. Disadvantages: Absolutely none!!
2006. Well worth looking around for bargains!
~ Products ~
This book is available in paperback, hardcover, board book & Big Book format.
There is an Audio CD of the story by Collins.
Hamish Hamilton Ltd have produced a lovely book and toy gift set.
Puffin have also made a 'My own very hungry caterpillar colouring book' which is a huge hit with children.
~ Other EricCarle Books ~
Too many to write a list of but here are a few to wet your appetite:
The tinyseed
Little cloud
The bad-tempered ladybird
Rooster's off to see the world
Today is Monday.
In short, the imaginative illustrations and clever cut out detail charting the progress of a very hungry caterpillar is a fantastic book for young children with HUGE educational value. ...
Advantages: Vibrant, bold illustrations. Disadvantages: No real story line.
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Illustrations
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In true Carle fashion, these are striking, bold and have a collage effect to them and it is thanks to these pictures that the attention was held by the young children I was reading this to.
I have added some of the illustrations at the bottom of the review.
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Style
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Very simple language and vocabulary with a repetitive text.
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EricCarle's books are tenfold, but here are some of them:
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, what do you hear?
The TinySeed
Do you want to be my friend?
1, 2, 3 to the zoo
Today is Monday
Draw me a Star ISBN: 0140549277 ...
eric legnini
1 CD(s) -JazzInstrument -Label: LabelBleu -Distributor:Harm ...
Product Information for "The Tiny Seed - Eric Carle" »
Product details
Type
Fiction
Genre
Children's
Title
The Tiny Seed
Author
Eric Carle
ISBN
0340413042; 0690826427; 0887080154
Manufacturer's product description
A new edition of this full colour picture book which follows the journey of a tiny seed as it blows away over seas, deserts and mountains, falls on to fertile earth, where it grows and produces more tiny seeds which begin their own journey.
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