All That Grows

A boy discovers he has much to learn while observing plants with his older sister -- a story about cultivating patience and letting knowledge grow.

As a boy walks around the neighborhood with his older, green-thumbed sister, she tells him all about the plants they see -- magnolias that smell like lemon cake, quince trees that will bloom the most beautiful red, daffodils that are the flower of Mother's Day, and even dandelions, whose greens can be eaten with spaghetti! How does his sister know so much? And how can she tell whether a plant is a flower, vegetable or weed, anyway?

The boy's head spins as he realizes how vast the universe is and how much there is to learn ... until he resolves to let his knowledge grow in its own way and time, just like the mysterious plants he has decided to nurture in the garden.

Key Text Features

dialogue

illustrations

Correlates to the Common Core States Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2

Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4

Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.7

Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.