Guest
Post by Author/Illustrator Susan Stockdale
Let’s
explore flowers that look like other things!
Fantastic Flowers celebrates 17
flowers from around the world that resemble objects, creatures and even people,
from spiraling spoons to flying birds to sleeping babies. The rhythmic,
rhyming text and bright, bold illustrations bring to life this dazzling display
of surprising blooms. Fantastic Flowers
encourages object identification and inspires children to observe nature more
closely. Back matter provides information on the pollination process, color
photos of the flowers (so children understand that they are real!) and a flower
identification guide.
Before reading, show students the flower
illustrations in the book. Ask them what they think the flowers resemble.
Writing prompts
•
Write a paragraph about your favorite flower in the book, stating the reason
you chose it.
•
Select a flower in the book and generate two lists: one with adjectives (e.g. wild baboons) and one with verbs (e.g. skittering spiders) that describe it. Write
a paragraph about the flower using your adjectives and verbs.
•
Select a flower in the book and write a few sentences about it that integrates
the information provided in the back matter, which includes the flowers’ common
names, scientific names, native range (habitat) and pollinators.
• Create your own name for each flower, being
as imaginative and playful as possible.
• Select two flowers in the book and imagine
that they can speak. Write a few sentences imagining what they might “say” to
one another in a conversation. For example, how might they compliment one
another?
BIO: Susan
Stockdale freelanced as a textile designer for the apparel industry before
becoming the author and illustrator of 8 picture books for young children. Her books celebrate nature with
exuberance and charm and have won awards from the American Library Association,
Parents’ Choice, the National Science Teachers Association and Bank Street
College of Education, among others. She lives with her husband in Chevy
Chase, Maryland. Visit her website at www.susanstockdale.com.
