From Seed to Pumpkin

"From Seed to Pumpkin", written by Wendy Pfeffer and illustrated by James Graham Hale, is a great informational text for young readers! The author incorporates literary tools, such as word choice and organization to make the central theme, learning about the life cycle of a pumpkin, interesting and fun!
This picture book begins with a vivid illustration of spring with text telling readers what time of year a farmer plants seeds for growing pumpkins. The language used in this book allows young readers to follow along easily and grasp the information presented. On each page, an illustration with text is provided. The amount of text on each page is minimal, which gives readers an opportunity to pace their reading and really understand the show more life cycle of a pumpkin. Although life cycles of plants are usually described in complex scientific terms, the author manages to use kid appropriate language so the readers do not get confused. This strategy keeps the young readers engaged in the book and gives them confidence and motivation to learn.
Another way the author conveyed the theme was through organization and plot. The book is organized in a sequential manner. It begins in spring, when the pumpkin seeds are planted and continues through to autumn, when a pumpkins life cycle is complete. In order to convey this message and keep the attention of young readers, the author presented the information in an easy to follow way, while the illustrator provided images in an aesthetically pleasing manner. Rather than presenting the reader with flat-out information about a pumpkins life cycle, the author turned the text into a story appropriate for children.
In order to keep this information at the level of the readers, the book provided many examples and comparisons to help the reader understand more difficult aspects of the life cycle. For example, when explaining how a plant receives water, the author compared this process with the way juice goes up a straw. Also, to provide further explanation of how plants drink water, the author provides a detailed, step-by-step science experiment that can be done at home to model this process. This method used throughout the book allows the readers to relate the information to their life experiences and observations, which provides them with more opportunities to successfully comprehend the information given.
I found this to be a great book overall that allows readers to learn the central theme of the life cycle of a pumpkin in an engaging and interesting way. The illustrator’s use of colorful, vivid pictures and young children characters grasps the reader’s attention and engages them in the informational story. The authors use of simplified language, scientific comparisons and explanations, organization, and amount of content included gives the reader optimal opportunities to successfully comprehend the author’s message of the life cycle of a pumpkin. show less

Wendy Pfeffer creates a great story in From Seed to Pumpkin. This story follows the life of a seed into sprouting into a pumpkin we see every Halloween and fall season.

The use of cartoon and story behind the book helps to let the children relate to the life of a seed. Pfeffer compares things throughout the book to everyday life that a child would face. In the beginning of the book she explains that roots are like tubes and you could see tubes in the child’s everyday life by using a straw. She helps to relate the life of a seed to the child’s life and makes it easier for the child to understand.

I love the way Pfeffer tells the story of the seed growing in to the pumpkin. She makes sure to include the changes in the seasons and just show more when the pumpkin is truly a pumpkin. I feel that children could drive down the road and be able to identify just which fields have pumpkins in them. The book provides a lot of knowledge on pumpkins but gives it to the children in a way that they don’t see that they’re learning.

Pfeffer is an award winning author of multiple children’s books and has also written a book for adults on how to write children’s books. Pfeffer taught elementary school and directed a nursery school. Pfeffer teaches anyone that wants to learn how to write better. She is open to going to the school and teaching the children proper writing and helping them discover the joy in writing.

Pfeffer helps to show the fun of writing stories about things that happen in everyday life. She has written books about planes, the coral reef, animals, the winter solstice, and much more. She is an excellent author to have in your library. show less

I really like this book! I have actually used it in a few lessons/lesson plans in the past. I like how it is informational, interesting and accurate! Wendy Pfeffer does a great job of taking reading through the entire lifecycle of a pumpkin. The book is written in a way that even young children will be able to comprehend and remember the steps of the lifecycle of a pumpkin. I also like how James Graham Hale included accurate illustrations of each step of the life cycle.

24. I liked the book “From Seed to Pumpkin” by Wendy Pfeffer for many reasons. For example, the book’s writing is written in third person and it is well organized as it describes the process of pumpkins growing on a pumpkin patch. The illustrations are appropriate to the context of the book because the colors used accurately depict the fall season and pumpkins in terms of stages of growth. The point of view is in third person, which adds to the story, as it’s main purpose is to be instructional. The language is also clear and uses simple sentences and vocabulary to assist young readers in learning about the development of pumpkins. I would choose to have this book in my classroom and to read it to my students during the fall show more season, as it would provide many opportunities for lessons and activities for my students. The main message of this story is to inform young readers of the steps in which a pumpkin develops. show less

This is an informational text that would be great to read in the fall! It follows a pumpkins growth starting with a seed! It would be great to practice listing out the sequential order and steps of a process. You can make notecards with the steps and have your child put them in order!

So good! The illustrations are great and the book makes the plant cycle seem so exciting, because what child isn't fascinated with pumpkins?!

While this is available for schools only, it is a great nonfiction text for youngsters. I use it in kindergarten but it would be a great addition to a plant life cycle unit in first grade too. The illustrated pictures are beautiful and it uses a lot of arrows and other features to make the content accessible. I like using the "Find Out More About Pumpkins" section in the back for extension purposes.