Seeds, Bees, Butterflies, and More!: Poems for Two Voices

by Carole Gerber, Eugene Yelchin (Illustrator)

A honeybee and a bumblebee have a chat.
A rose offers a worm a bit of its compost.
A mouse assures a root of its importance.

These fun rhyming poems for two voices are blooming, bursting, and buzzing with personality. Eugene Yelchin’s stunning illustrations beautifully accent Carole Gerber’s unusual conversations. Together, they offer a close-up view of the plant and insect worlds, with an amazing amount of information about them.

All around us, under our feet, thousands of interactions and transformations are taking place. This book gives the reader a chance to listen in.

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books, Nature, Science, Childrens, Animals, Nonfiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published February 5, 2013

Reviews

[Memory Kopp · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great poetry book intended to be read in pairs. Carole Gerber sets up these poems in a great way using color coding for reading to take turns from person to person. Each person has their own color to read and when the colors are combined then they read in unison. This can make for even more fun and excitement when reading these poems. The themes of all the poems in this book are based around the plant, animal and insect worlds. They are packed with tons of useful information told in an interesting and humorous way. They could lead to such a fun extension for nature, gardening or springtime lessons. All 18 poems have fun details told in first person voices that flow off the tongue in a carefree way. The illustrations done by Eugene Yelchin are full of color and texture. They are done in bright graphite and gouache techniques that enhance each poem. In the example of Daffodil Bulbs the words detail the journey of how daffodils grow and the illustrations show each step of the process. This is true through the whole book with many poems using double page spreads to tell a story and illustrate the point. One additional detail in this book that I enjoyed was in the end the author dedicated a page detailing an outline of what all the poems touched on in an informative way. This can help teachers come up with some ideas on where to go with the lesson after reading the poems. I would recommend this book for use by teachers ready to dive into a fun poetry lesson and it is best suited I feel for students ages 5-9. The younger ones may need it read aloud to them if they are not able to do the reading on their own but even hearing this book read will make for a fun time.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am always on the lookout for engaging books that bring science to life for young children. My most recent find, Seeds, Bees, Butterflies, and More!: Poems for Two Voices by Carole Gerber, Eugene Yelchin, would be a perfect addition for early childhood through elementary school classrooms. This collection of nature poems invite children into imagined conversations of nature to share information about how seeds germinate, how seeds travel or the importance of the roots of a plant. I particularly liked the conversation between the emerging grass shoot and the hungry rabbit who cleverly encourages it forth. With both clever and engaging text, this collection MUST be recited with two readers to experience the intended shared effect.

With this book, Carole Gerber adds a winner to her already strong collection of stories about nature for elementary age children. Eugene Yelchin’s stunning illustrations draw readers into the poems and add context to the conversation.

This text could be used in primary classrooms to explore science concepts. The simple and short text is a nice alternative to more detailed descriptions often found in science texts. This book would especially appeal to students who prefer fiction or non-fiction texts. The text also builds on student’s familiarity with the volley of conversations, which will engage students reluctant to poetic form. Teachers of older elementary students, could use this text to explore hi, personification and perspective.

Seeds, Bees, Butterflies, and More!: Poems for Two Voices was a 2014 nominee for the Camellia Award.

[Rachel Friel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book includes a collection of several short, 1-2 page poems, related to nature, insects, plants, and flowers. Each poem is separate from one another. There are a total of 18 poems in the book. At the end of the book the author includes an informational summary with the accurate explanation of pollination, how seeds travel, plant growth and life, and more.
This book and its numerous poems will be wonderful to use in a classroom. It includes personification as well as great science content. These poems could be paired with informational texts when learning about plants and their life cycle in science. They are short and easy to read, very appealing for young audiences. The pictures are also bright and appealing.
My favorite part of this book is that it is written in two different colors, meant for partner reads. Students could use these poems in reader's theatre or follow along and read it as a class: I read one color and the class together reads the other color. The would also be great for partner reads. I will definitely use this book in my classroom and highly recommend it to others for use in both science and reading!!

[Kristen Rusnak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gerber, C. (2013). Seeds, bees, butterflies, and more!: poems for two voices. New York: Henry Holt and Co.

This brilliant poetry book was written for two readers. Text is in two colors so reader's can differentiate between the reading parts.

Teachers could use this book to teach students about poetry. This book would also be good to use to teach students about fluency and prosody when reading aloud. This book would also be great for units about plant, flowers, pollination, bees and nature.

Primary


From Follett Titlewave: Reviews & Awards

Booklist 01/01/13

Kirkus Reviews 01/01/13

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 04/01/13

Library Media Connection 08/01/13

Horn Book 11/01/13

School Library Journal 01/01/13

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poems for two voices are ideal in so many ways, and these combine high quality rhymed/metered verses with authentic content, voice, personification, and point of view. Add to that appealing and enhancing illustrations on an important core topic, and this is a book that should spend more time in hands than on a shelf.

[D'metria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good book for teaching about adjectives, animals, communication, the environment, repetition and rhyming. This book also provides good vocabulary words.

[Emily W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seeds, bees, butterflies, and more! is a colorful picture book full of cute and flower related poems. The poems are meant for two readers and very easy to follow along with and understand what the meaning is behind them.

The book is full of poems featuring seeds, flowers, pollinators, and yellow sunflowers (I rhythmed without knowing haha...). The poems paint clear pictures about how plants grow and what is needed for them to grow. The story also provides a very broad range of vocabulary! There are plenty of times where a teacher could pause and reflect on unfamiliar words that may have been used. Also, the interactive feature of two readers really creates a unique narrative throughout the different poems that might be unfamiliar to some young readers!

I would recommend this book for teachers who are introducing poetry into a classroom. The rhythms are very easy to follow and students will enjoy the dialogue between plants and the sun! This story would also be really interesting to introduce during a lesson plan about pollination and plants.

[Elaina Albarado · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this poem book because not only is it fun and engaging but it also is very informative in a fun way. The poems in this book are meant for two people to alternate and read which I think could be very entertaining for students and a good way to keep them engaged. The poems alternate by different colors. I think that this book is informative because it teaches students about the science of seeds, bees, butterflies, and other insects. Each poem refers to a different science aspect, which also keeps the student engaged because it does not feel so repetitive. I also thought the illustrations flowed very nicely with this poem book and were very eye catching. The words that were used in the poems also were very children friendly and not hard for young readers to understand at all, I feel like this book can also be used to teach science in a very fun and interactive way.

[Dominika Romano · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was very interesting as it was written for two people to read, in two different voices. Every two pages are dedicated to a new perspective in the plant world. The first poem describes helicopters that float through the air. It goes on to describe berries, daffodils, roots, daffodils and so much more! The voices are read like a conversation between what is being described, such as the root and another being. Other than the title, the poem describes the spring word. It makes for a very interesting read. The riddle like poetry makes the story very intriguing! This is appropriate for kids of all elementary ages as it would be a great poetry lesson as well as a great spring read as well! Very interesting!

[Peggy Archer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a picture book which combines poetry for two voices with science. I enjoyed reading the poems here, which are written in rhyme and intended to be read by two voices, an interesting way to inform readers about "Seeds, Bees, Butterflies, and More!" I enjoyed the content and the rhyme, although the rhythm in some places felt a bit off. A note in front explains how to read the poems in two voices, and back matter adds to the information presented in the book. A fun way to learn about nature.

[Lauren Krebs · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a collection of poems based around nature, plants, and animals. It has beautiful illustrations and can grab young readers attention. I would say that this book is best suited for children 4-8 years of age. Also I find it interesting how the book promotes reading with a partner. This could be a great tool to use in the classroom when learning how to take turns and listen to others.

[Taylor Relacion · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seeds, Bees, Butterflies, and More is made up of rhyming poems. These poems are about nature and the poems are meant to be read by two people, the lines are color coded. Each poem gives an insight to something in nature, like how daffodil bulbs burst in the warming earth and then grow into flowers with the help of the sun. I would recommend this book for grades 2 to 4 because it seems like it is meant for younger readers, it's not content heavy.
In my classroom I would use this book to introduce the topic of poetry, more specifically, rhyming poetry. I would also use this as a way to help young readers practice reading, they could read it with their friends, with me, or their parents. I really liked the illustrations because they were very bright and colorful, like springtime.

[Megan Warden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book of poetry and think it would be so perfect to use in a lesson in the spring time on gardens and the spring season. It could be aligned with a lesson on planting seeds, learning how seeds and plants grow, and helping children understand insects and the part they play in keeping flowers and plants alive, or dead.

[Kayla Melcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how unique this poetry picture book is, I have never seen one that involves having you read aloud with two people. Like we have talked about in class it is SO important that children listen to stories, this story would make it more interactive for both people, while also practicing important skills.

[Clara]

This is a great book for primary students. It encompasses the beautiful of the world we live in and how plant life in the world comes to be. If I was a teacher I think I would use this poem book as a part of a series on the life cycle of plants.

[Caleb Moes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I choose this book because I needed a poetic book. This one was simple to read, It gave out facts as well as fun stories.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for reading together. I think this would work well for performing for young kids.

[Shanice Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives a wonderful perspective of nature through poetry!

[Cheyanne Schlalos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book, would be a great partner read for students on the first week of school to create relationships with one another, because you have to read together.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ladybug hugs, Bedmates (worm and flower), Honeybee Dance, Helianthus, Hitchhikers, We Can Fly were my favorite poems.

[Dow Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a variety of different poems for two voices that show different creatures and their stories. The illustrations are very nice and use bright colors which I think would catch the eye of young students and keep them interested in the stories. This book is for grades PreK-2nd grade. I would use this book in the classroom to introduce poetry to students. It could also be used to create a variety of different activities based off of the illustrations.

[Wendee Vezzetti · Rating 4 out of 5]

SUMMARY:
At the first read, I really didn't like the alternating voices. But the more I read it, the more I like it. I especially like how it explains the story of how seeds are transmitted to create new plants - birds, pollination, etc. AJ (2.5 years) especially liked the illustrations which at his age kept his attention. Yet toward the end of the book he would lose it. So therefore, it is more for the grade K reader and up.

AGES: Primary - Preschool - 3rd

COPYRIGHT: 2013

PUBLISHER: Henry Holt and Co.

RATIONALE:
This is an great, interactive book for the classroom to engage students. Science classroom can even teach it to learn about plants and insects. Classrooms could even plant seeds of their own while students watch them grow as they periodically read this book.

AWARDS:
Booklist 01/01/13
Kirkus Reviews 01/01/13
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 04/01/13
Library Media Connection 08/01/13
Horn Book 11/01/13
School Library Journal 01/01/13

[Sarah Wilbern · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gerber, C. (2013). Seeds, Bees, Butterflies, and More! New York: Henry Holt and Company.
Reviewed by School Library Journal
Poetry

This book was very colorful, and very easy to read. The poems were set up where two people took turns reading the different poems. The lines of the poems were short enough, and easy enough to be read by younger children. The poems were all related to one another because they all dealt with science and how things grew, and showed all the different life cycles. It showed a butterfly life cycle, it showed bumble bees, how seeds were carried by birds to a new place after being eaten. The pictures helped show what was being said in the poems. The pictures were realistic/cartoonish in a way.
I could use this book from grades Prek-5th grade. It can help students learn to write poetry and it can reinforce science concepts.

[Katie Luckraft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seeds, Bees, Butterflies, and More! is an engaging book of poems to be read by two people. The poems are short, easy to read (each stanza is color coded, as well as indented, which makes it easy to see who is supposed to read what), and brimming with genuine information.
While this book details actual scientific topics like how seeds are distributed, why honeybees dance, and the life cycle of caterpillars, I really appreciated that it was written in such a simple way. I think that learning science through poetry makes these somewhat complex topics a little more understandable, as well as enjoyable, for younger children. I can envision this book being used in primary and intermediate classrooms as a way to introduce new topics, synthesize, practice fluency, and use new vocabulary and descriptive language.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

All one needs to start a garden unit of learning is this book! Each poem will start the questioning, and research will help find the answers as to why each poem says what it does. For example, on the page with “New Shoot”, the first voice asks: “Will you be up soon?/I feel sure you’ll be cute.” and the second replies: “My roots are growing as we speak./I’m about to pop my shoot./Thanks for your concern though./Will we meet when I come out?” There is more talk, also accompanied by a large rabbit, one of the speakers! I hope you can imagine what the end might be. Other poems share about roots, helianthus, bees, and milkweed. It’s a treasure of information, poetically told with beautiful illustrations.

[Alisa]

2nd book review for week 6-Poetry
The poem book Seeds, Bees, Butterflies, and More! by Carole Gerber is set up for two readers. The text is color coded for a reader on the right and a reader on the left. These poems would be wonderful for fluency practice in the elementary grades (2-4). These poems revolve around plants and how they grow and the animals they encounter. It gives you a sense of what it is like in their world. The beautiful illustrations by Eugene Yelchin are colorful and expressive. Another book that has the same format and would be great for fluency in young readers is, You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You: Very Short Stories to Read Together by Mary Ann Hoberman and Michael Emberley.

[Abby Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun poems about plants, growing, pollination, etc. are paired with exuberant artwork in this collection. My one small beef is that I always wish for more information included about particular species, etc. but I can see, stylistically, that including such blurbs might have detracted from the beautiful illustrations. For science information, you'll need to pair this book with something else, but on its own it's a glorious celebration of spring and shouldn't be missed!

http://www.abbythelibrarian.com/2013/...

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poems for two (or more) voices have been popular since Paul Fleischman's Joyful Noise<\i> was published back in 1988. In this book all the poems are about plants and insects, and the relationships between the two. Children can have fun performing the poems and learn something at the same time. Lines of poetry are color-coded to make it easier for performers to know their parts. The author provides information at the end of the book on how seeds germinate and how insects help in the process. Nicely done and recommended.

[Ivy Howey]

Come on a journey through the garden and explore the creatures that abound! Don't forget to bring a friend, because these poems are meant for two people to share. Gerber, C. (2013) Seeds, bees, butterflies, and more! : poems for two voices; Henry Holt and Co

This is a book that I would recommend to teachers starting a unit in Science that is covering the life cycle or to show different styles of poetry.

Booklist 01/01/13
Kirkus Reviews 01/01/13
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 04/01/13
Library Media Connection 08/01/13
Horn Book 11/01/13
School Library Journal 01/01/13

[Lisa E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gerber, C. (2013). Seeds, Bees, Butterflies, and More!New York: Henry Holt and Company.

School Library Journal (2013).


Book Soak Category.

Seeds, Bees, Butterflies, and More is a poetry book that is focused on the world of plants, animals insect. There are many topics in the book that I could see using in the classroom with kids for example topics on pollination, new plants, etc. The book is intended for students K-3. I found it a very informational picture book as well as enjoyed the poetry.