Flowers Are Calling

by Rita Gray, Kenard Pak (Illustrator)

In this rhyming poetic picture book, explore the wonders of natural cooperation between plants, animals and insects. Flowers Are Calling by Rita Gray and illustrated by Kenard Pak is "a sophisticated blend of scientific information and artistry" (Publishers Weekly). Flowers are calling to all the animals of the forest, "Drink me!"—but it’s the pollinators who feast on their nectar. In rhyming poetic form and with luminous artwork, this book shows us the marvel of natural cooperation between plants, animals, and insects as they each play their part in the forest's cycle of life.

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

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 3, 2015

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful book. Explores many types of pollinators and the flowers that attract them.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

An introduction for kids to flowers, animals, and the ways flowers attract pollinators. Each spread introduces an animal the flowers are not calling to, and then an insect, bird or other critter the flowers are attracting. After every three spreads, there's a spread introducing the last three flowers that have appeared. The end of the book has further information on pollinators and how flowers attract them.

A very attractively illustrated book that could easily be used in science classes when talking about plants or symbiotic relationships. I would use it in conjunction with Seeing Flowers: Discover the Hidden Life of Flowers by Chace & Llewellyn so kids could see real close-up pictures of the things talked about in this book, like lines that direct pollinators to the pollen. The rhymes in this book follow an interesting pattern, to the extent it actually took me several pages to figure out there was even rhyming going on. I'm not sure whether to be impressed with the subtlety of the rhyming or unimpressed because it was so hard to notice. That's really a moot point, the strengths of the book are in the content conveyed. The repetitive phrases of the book will be good for beginning readers to be able to "read" along.

[Shelley Diamond · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations of flowers and insects attracted to them. Teaches about different kinds of flowers and insects that are best suited for each other, and in that sense "call" to each other.

My only quibble with this book is the confusing parts about animals that the flowers are NOT calling. I think the book would be improved by deleting those aspects. Why say the flowers are calling bears and porcupines and frogs and blue birds and rabbits and a moose etc. when the text then says No, they're not calling those animals? Why bring up all the other animals if the flowers are not calling them???? That was a big distraction in my opinion and detracted from the rest of the beautiful book.

[KC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another keeper for those nature enthusiasts. A lovely balance between the animal kingdom and the plants and flowers that share their space and work harmoniously on our planet. I just discovered author/illustrator Kenard Pak, a new favorite of mine.

[Donalyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stunning illustrations and great information about flowering plants.

[Aliza Werner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Narrative NF with lush, gorgeous illustrations. Lots of information about flowers and the types of animals they attract. Some text felt clunky or NF captions didn't always match flower type that was being discussed.

[Laura Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glorious. Just perfect.

[Whole And · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gorgeous and very educational book on the importance of pollinators and the various features flowers use to attract them. Information not commonly found in other children's nature books.
Excellent read.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

An early elementary book aboit flowers including different types and characteristics. easy to follow

[Katrina Lybbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book about flowers and their need for pollinators.

[Evie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly beautiful illustrations. Sometimes the words are a bit simplistic, leading to more advanced botanical facts, but the overall book is lovely.

[Robin Raines-Bond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the illustrations and information included for the flowers and insects.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read this at a handful of storytimes (for preschool-age children and also mixed ages with their families) over the past year or so, and although it is a beautiful book, with lovely illustrations and a unique and dynamic presentation of information about flowers and how they attract pollinators, I am sorry to say that I never overcame my discomfort with the position the audience is put in when the author repeatedly presents false information, and then immediately reveals the correct information.

What ends up happening, at the very best, is that the audience will echo/groan/repeat the negative vocalization; "No, not the - - -!" Audiences want to complete rhymes, and they want to call out repeating refrains. But since each repeat has a different second-part-of-the-sentence, the only part they feel confident calling out is "No!" and the fact is, people don't know for certain that these flowers do not attract a variety of animals, they only attract birds, insects, and people. So, in order to participate, they have to call out "No!" when in fact, they are not entirely sure.

Honestly, it felt like training children to grow up to shout out something in a group just because everyone else is shouting it out.

I don't see the benefit of that.

I wish the author and illustrator could start over and use the wealth of information, the rhymes, and the amazing artwork, but put them together slightly differently so the listening audience could shout out something more meaningful or relevant.

Despite this storytime flaw, the book is still very useful and much appreciated. I have a feeling it wouldn't be so glaring if it were read one-on-one.

[Jazzmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a lovely and powerful mix of loveliness in nature and informative points on the botany included in this book. From an educational point of view, it is chock full of meaningfully written facts about flower types and various pollinators. This makes for an interesting read, and the illustrations that coincide with each page are informative in themselves. The book is also neat in that it includes a wide range of pollinators and animals; not just insects, but birds and mammals and even reptiles.

A few aspects of the book do make it more geared for a mid-elementary audience, such as the way it is organized (especially if selected for independent reading). Children definitely have to have the skill of recognition of verse patterns to follow the way it is written.

Overall, I really enjoyed the incorporation of such an array of animals and the bright, striking floral depictions on the pages that address the flower species. At the end of the book, there is also a list of fascinating facts and info, as well as a section detailing the way that color, pattern, shape, scent, and opening time of flowers are clues to the type of visitors they attract. So interesting to read! I think that ended up being my favorite part of the entire book.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated by Kenard Pak, and Rita Gray's telling is a versatile mix of identification and information. By versatility, I mean that you can have a perfectly enjoyable time naming animals and insects, as well as distinguishing between which ones pollinate and feed on flowers and which do not. The added informational bonus is the pages where we stop to learn more specifics about types of flowers and the bugs who like them. This info might be less engaging and fun for younger readers, but it's easy to pass over, using those pages as a chance to practice plant identification. For older readers, it's a great way to get them interested in bugs and flowers, and the way these two natural wonders interact.

Rowan has a great time watching the bugs in the yard. He's very into them, and we've been working to teach him how to interact with them well, so he doesn't just kill them with his curiosity and excitement. Same with different plants. So this is a really nice book for building up that interest in and understanding of the natural world.

I learned things from this book too. Everybody wins.

[Lian · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept behind this book is wonderful, and the illustrations are truly divine. It's worth buying the book for the pictures alone. But the text. At once, it's a narrative, then it shifts to flower facts--but not in a way that works well. For adults, it's confusing... kids would probably give up, it's that random. On top of that, the narrative text is done in rhyme. Why oh why does it have to be in rhyme? It just doesn't work--least of all because it doesn't fit the mixed text content--but more so because it's not well done. Rhyme is so difficult to get right, and the rhythm and beat and skewed word placement is so off, it almost ruins the book. It would have been vastly better had it been in prose. Three stars for the book's beauty.

[K. McDevitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this today at the library. Someone put it on hold and then the hold was cancelled. I felt bad for the book, and it looked gorgeous, so I gave it a read. It was so gorgeous. I actually hadn't realized there were so many different pollinators. I loved format/structure of the book as it alternated among animals the flowers saw but didn't need, ones they were calling to for help, and then actual descriptions of the specific flowers. There was additional information at the end of the book about this slice of nature as a whole. Most of all, I loved the beautiful art. The animals and flowers both came alive.

[SL · Rating 4 out of 5]

FLOWERS ARE CALLING was so good! Beautiful illustrations and lyrical writing interspersed with brief factual information that expands on what the book is depicting. I had no idea there were so many pollinators and it's easy to forget how miraculous nature truly is. This isn't suitable for storytime but for patient readers that don't mind stopping every few pages to absorb facts, this would be a fun read. I could see this being paired with PRETTY TRICKY: THE SNEAKY WAYS PLANTS SURVIVE by Etta Kaner.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Totally love the idea of a flower calling for what it wants, and the art is not only delicate and inviting, but informative. (I had no idea bee flies existed -- they do! And here it is.)

I also love the pauses for a closer look at the flowers in the midst of the text. In fact the only thing that tripped me up was the first line of each page -- it feels like it is dying to be a question, not a statement.

I read this with preschoolers and we had fun thinking of which flower would whisper and which would shout, and what other things might call (and what/who they would call).

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hey, what a lovely rhyming book about flowers and their pollinators. This had lovely artwork, but it was a bit dark at times. It has flowers and butterflies. It's so calming. All these garden scenes.

The artwork is digital work. I love the rabbits page. The flowering trees are gorgeous.

I think kids who love nature and gardens will enjoy this. Probably young kids.

I'm very tired this morning. My brain is just not churning much right now. Sorry. It's a nice book.

[Micha O'Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I happened to stumble upon this gem while searching for a different title, and was immediately drawn by the lush, detailed watercolor illustrations. Fanciful rhymes about flowers and their pollinators are peppered throughout with profiles on various wildflowers and their features. This give multiple options for reading.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations are soft and gorgeous; the format is interesting--4-6 page spreads talk about different animals/bugs/people/etc. visiting the flowers and then the following pages talk about the flowers, in particular, that the animals/bugs/people/etc. visit. The visiting pages are told in rhyming poetry; the flower pages are told in simple facts. Might be good for a storytime?

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like the balance between the rhyming, narrative text, and the more informational pages with small blurbs. I loved the focus on the partnership/symbiosis between flowers and pollinators and how flowers and pollinators have differences between them that serve their specific situations. Beautiful illustrations, as well.

[Sally Van Horn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated, but the text is all over the place. At first you think it's going to be a back and forth about all the animals the flowers were and were not calling, which is confusing. Then it starts ping ponging back and forth between that and flower facts. Educational and nice to see alongside illustrations, but pick a lane for greater impact.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

The back matter and illustrations are what makes this book 3 stars. I really didn’t care for the main text - the introduction of random animals seemed unnecessary and only for the rhyme’s sake, and the rhythm felt forced and awkward in places. But - I’d still have this book in my classroom for the back matter—it just wouldn’t be a go-to for a read aloud.

[lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great!

Just reading this to my 2 year old for bedtime for the first time. This book has beautiful illustrations and great facts that will give it staying power in our library for years to come.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great way to gently teach children about the relationship between flowers and pollinators. The book covers many different flowers and pollinators and teaches how different shapes, colors, scents, and bloom times attract different pollinators.

[SaraKat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gets three stars because of the art. I wasn't as impressed with the text. The rhymes seemed forced and the switching between the fanciful poetry and higher level nonfiction was weird. But the art--that is nice. :)

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite thing about this book was the beautiful art work!! The pictures are gorgeous! It was also educational. It didn't hold my kids' attention as much as some other books we have in this unit study, but like me, they did really appreciate the art.

[Katrina Dreamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as a nonfiction mentor text for picture book writers. I loved the illustrations. The idea is clever…to introduce animals that won’t care about flowers and ones that will. A few times I felt like the rhyme was clunky, so this is more 3.5 stars than 4.