Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, my friends. And I’ve got a wonderful book to review that fits perfectly with this season of spring.
GROWING SEASON
Written and illustrated by Maryann Cocca-Leffler
Published by Sterling House Books (2019)
Ages: 4-8
Themes: Friendship, gardening
Synopsis: From Amazon:
El and Jo are the shortest kids in class, and they’re inseparable. But what happens when Jo starts to grow? This sweet picture book explores the joys and challenges of friendship and growing up.
El and Jo are the smallest students in their class—and best friends, too, like peas in a pod. Even their names are short. But in springtime, something BIG happens: Jo starts growing like a weed, while El feels smaller every day. On the last day of school, their teacher asked every child to pick a plant to care for over the summer. All the other kids reach over El to grab their plant, and she has to take the very last one: a tiny, flowerless aster. At first, she’s disappointed. But as summer progresses, the aster begins to bloom—and so does El!
Why I love this book:
- I love friendship stories!
- This is a wonderful book to use for discussion about how we are all different and we grow and mature in our own ways.
- FABULOUS illustrations!
RELATED ACTIVITIES:
Grow Your Own Salad Garden: for detailed instructions: https://kidsgardening.org/garden-activities/
For more wonderful picture book reviews, please hop over to Susanna Hill’s blog.
Don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Maryann’s wonderful new book!
And please come back tomorrow for an inside look into the writing and illustrating journey of author Maryann Coccoa-Leffler.
VIVIAN KIRKFIELD - Writer for Children 
Oh this sounds like the sweetest book ever! Thanks for the review, Vivian.
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Looks like a delightfully, fun book. Can’t wait to read it!
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This sounds adorable. Love the friendship/growing theme.
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Oh, frustrations! My library has this book on order, and I have to wait for it to arrive. Thanks for reviewing this book, I have a feeling I’m going to love this story.
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This books sou ds lovely. Our Elementary school has a community garden and they do loads of growing projects. I was one of the kids who grew faster than everyone in my class reaching my full height by 5th grade and struggling with being different in that way. I like to buy the sad, not sure if they will survive, plants at the store to see if I can give the what they need to thrive. It’s amazing what time and care will do for anything and anyone.
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This sounds adorable!
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Any book about spring is welcome, but this one sounds especially beautiful!
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What a sweet & charming cover!! Congrats, Maryann!
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What a unique and charming way to approach the topics of friendship and growing up! I’m looking forward to reading this sweet book.
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This book looks wonderful – full of emotion and heart.
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Maryann has captured one of my childhood friendships as we grew up together at different speeds. What an endearing theme with heart! I’m excited to read this charming story. Thanks so much, Tara, for giving it applause and praise.
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Looking forward to reading this book! Thanks for the review and the give-away!
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Growing Things is right up my gardening alley! Can’t wait to read it and plant my garden! Thanks!
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And the book is called Growing SEASON, but growing things was on my mind…
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Sounds very cute. I remember when my best friend was one of the tall kids when school first began. By high school, she was the short one 🙂
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Congrats! This story sounds so sweet. Anxious to read it and I love aster plants.
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I adore friendship stories and the illustrations are fun and cute. I just want posters to hang of these characters to bring smiles to all who see them.
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This book looks adorable and I love the link for growing lettuce :0)
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Thanks for introducing us to this book. It sounds like the perfect antidote to the long winter!
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We’re just starting to teach about growing seasons at school. Love the tie in between friends growing (physically & emotionally) & plants growing; can’t wait to hear what happens with El!
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This looks like such a great book. Growing plants and growing friendships. Would love to see how it ends – perfect I’m sure. Thanks for telling us all about it.
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Thanks for showing us this book. I looks great.
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This sounds like such a sweet book! I love friendship stories.
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I am really excited to check this new title out.. spring and friendship,, it’s fun to watch them both bloom
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