From Seed to Plant

by Gail Gibbons

Flowers, trees, fruits—plants are all around us, but where do they come from?
 
With simple language and bright illustrations, non-fiction master Gail Gibbons introduces young readers to the processes of pollination, seed formation, and germination.  Important vocabulary is reinforced with accessible explanation and colorful, clear diagrams showing the parts of plants, the wide variety of seeds, and how they grow. 
 
The book includes instructions for a seed-growing project, and a page of interesting facts about plants, seeds, and flowers.   A nonfiction classic, and a perfect companion for early science lessons and curious young gardeners.
 
According to The Washington Post , Gail Gibbons "has taught more preschoolers and early readers about the world than any other children's writer-illustrator."  Ms. Gibbons is the author of more than 100 books for young readers, including the bestselling titles From Seed to Plant and Monarch Butterfly .  Her many honors include the Washington Post/Childrens Book Guild Nonfiction Award and the NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book Award.
 
From Seed to Plant was included in the Common Core State Standards Appendix B.

Genres: Science, Picture Books, Nonfiction, Plants, Nature, Childrens, Gardening

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

From gailgibbons.com: I was born in Oak Park, Illinois, in 1944. Even as a little child, I was always busy putting books together. Sometimes I would bind them with yarn to hold the pages together. I've always loved drawing and painting. I was also a very curious child. My parents tell me that I was always asking lots and lots of questions.

Later, I went on to the University of Illinois, where I studied graphic design. Then I moved to New York City, where I got a job doing artwork for television shows. Eventually I was asked to do the artwork for a children's show. While doing that show, some of the children asked me if I had ever thought of doing children's books. My mind immediately recalled how much I enjoyed doing that type of thing when I was a child. So I put an idea for a book together and right away a publisher bought it. That book was called Willy and His Wheel Wagon. Since then, over 170 books that I have written and illustrated have been published. The type of books I write are non-fiction books. This is because I love researching so much. I get to ask lots of questions, just like when I was a kid. I also get to travel and meet lots of interesting people. While doing research for my book Nature's Green Umbrella: Tropical Rain Forests, I traveled to two islands where there are tropical rain forests, Saba and Dominica. I also had a great time writing and illustrating the book. I get a lot of pleasure from doing the type of work I do.

Reviews

[Jailine Marin-Torres · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Seed to Plant is a wonderful book that could be used to by many teachers. I think this book can be used in a 3rd or 4th grade science class to introduce spring or the topic of how and when plants grow. It breaks down each part of the plant and has a great picture that students can refer back too. I also liked that fact that it has the names of different flowers throughout the book. I read it with my nephew and we both enjoyed it a lot.

[Kimberly Harry · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons is a nonfiction text that clearly describes the scientific process of how a seed begins, and evolves into a plant. Throughout the book the reader learns about different varieties of seeds, flowers, and fruit. The reader also learns the many interesting ways pollination occurs, and how seeds are scattered. The illustrations and diagrams are very helpful in explaining the seed to plant journey.

This book could be used to teach students in kindergarten through third grade how to use text features such as; illustrations, diagrams, and labels to better understand the text. The book may also be used to teach how to sequence the steps of a scientific process, or cause and effect. And of course, this is a wonderful book to use to help students understand a science lesson on plants, pollination, and plant vocabulary.

This was a WOW book for me because plants are one of the science topics I teach in third grade. I loved the simple diagrams labeled with sophisticated science vocabulary. I also loved that at the end of the book the author included a “how to” project for curious scientists. This book made this scientific process easy to understand by including bright illustrations to help detail each step.

[Taylor Richarsdon]

Title: From Seed to Plant
Author: Gail Gibbons
Plot: The plot of this story is chronological. This story tells readers about seeds and how they grow from a tiny seed into a tall beautiful plant.
Characters: There are no characters that we follow throughout this story.
Main Conflict: There is no conflict within this story.
Main Theme: The theme of this story is explicit. The purpose of this book is to provide accurate information about how plants turn into plants.
Authors style: This authors uses a lot of labeling that is very effective for this book. After reading this book, readers will know more about plants and all the different parts of a plant.
Point of View: This story is written in third person/omniscient
Design and Layout: This book is laid out with information on every page. Readers truly see the entire life of a seed throughout this book. The pictures are colorful and include labeling so readers can see exactly which parts of the flower are what.
Lessons and Standards: K-LS1-1 Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals need to survive. A project could be done follow the read aloud of this book involving creating a poster about what plants need to survive. 1-LS1-1 Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs. After reading this book aloud, an project could be done allowing students to come up with their own idea and implementing it in drawing on a poster board.
Overall Assessment: I enjoyed how this book used labeling to ensure readers were gaining a good knowledge of seeds and plants. This book is very informative and draws young readers in with its bright colored flowers and up close insects and birds.

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is for grades K through 2. It provides a simple introduction on plant reproduction. The scientific topics that are covered include: pollination, seed dispersal and growth. There is a project include - how to grow a bean plant and unusual facts. The text is somewhat difficult to understand, especially for a young student. I could easily see younger students being confused by the unusual wording. The illustrations leave something to be desired. I am certain that there are better books out there to teach the growth of a seed to a plant to students.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Straightforward book describing the life cycle of a plant. Detailed illustrations show the parts of a flower and what's going on inside the seed we plant. There's a science experiment at the end that would make a nice classroom project for grade school-aged kids. The formatting for Kindle left much to be desired.

[Kaitlin Rosenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was an extremely cute book to read to second or third graders. This book talks about the plant cycle, which this book would be great in a science class. I would highly recommend this book, if you are planning to teach your students about the plant cycle.

[Relyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for our first-grade students during the Coronavirus lockdown.

[Igor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vocabulary easy to explain to a childern. I prefer, specially in the early ages, a more down to earth approach.

[Selena Sheehy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: From Seed to Plant
Author: Gail Gibbons
Illustrator: Gail Gibbons
Genre:
Theme(s): Science, Life, Growth
Opening line/sentence: “Most plants make seeds. A seed contains the beginning of a new plant.”
Brief Book Summary: The story discusses the life of plants and details the different parts of plants. It is filled with vocabulary words and different versions of plants. It helps understand all different parts of different plants and how they help one another and the environment. It ends the book with how a seed turns into a plant.
Response to Two Professional Reviews (3-4 sentences in your own words):
Tell Me Framework (4 sentences in your own words):
Like(s): I loved the story’s art and illustrations.
Dislike(s): I disliked the length of the book.
Patterns(s): The story has a patter of different plants and their parts.
Puzzle(s): Why were the parts of a plant shown before the life cycle?
Consideration of Instructional Application (3-4 sentences in your own words):
This book includes a lot of words and information for a child to endure. While this book will be difficult for younger children, removing excerpts from the story can help them fully grasp the information. For older children, this book is an excellent source to break down plants and explain how a plant is what it is and explain what it does.

[Laurice Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

From Seed to Plant (1999) by Gail Gibbons
I really enjoyed this informational text about how plants grow into seeds. In this story it talks about the many stages of plants and how seeds come to be. The whole book contained labels, close ups, bold letters, comparisons of seeds, cut aways and other resources. As soon as you open the book you find pages with framed illustrations, the text box was below, above, and on the illustrations with typography that had bold and non bold words. Some pages contained illustrations that were frame within a frame with the text box in the frame but at the bottom. As well has other illustrations covered a full page in a collage spread that included the text box at the bottom within the frame. This book was easy to read and navigate, my children loved it and it was easy for them to follow along. The close ups gave a better visual of before and after of the plant, such as the sunflower cut out is next to a full grown sunflower. As well as the acorn and the Oak Tree, showing the before and after of the seed. Which my children enjoyed because we also related it to what species eat seeds.

[Denise Sumner · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Seed to Plant is just what one would expect. In this informational book we learn how something as simple as a flower becomes just that. As simple as it seems there are things that have to happen to make that beauty come about. Gail Gibbons allows students to learn such things in a way that students can understand the process. The book helps students see the life cycle of a plant as well as its needs. Students will learn all about plants in this well written and illustrated book.

Students in K-2 can understand this and learn their curriculum of how we get plants. This allows students to learn all about a plant from it's beginning to when it produces another plant. This book is great for a science unit on plants, as well as learning the parts of a plant, an all around good book to supplement the teaching that.

This is a WOW book for me because we do a plant and animal unit in the spring. I feel this book is very well written to help little students understand the process and cycle a plant. The illustrations and labeling helps students learn the information presented in the book.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons is a book level 3.4.

Summary: From Seed to Plant visualizes how flowers grow but also discusses how fruits and vegetables get to be the way they are. This can show students that seeds can hold more than one purpose. Seeds can grow us food, plants and flowers as well. These pictures are great visuals for younger students and allows them to see the process of seed from stage 1 to the last stage.

Classroom Integration: The reason why I chose to put this as a presentation trait is because visualizes the stages of how a flower grows from stage 1 to the last stage. I think this could be a great book to integrate into a science lesson for first graders. You could read the book and then give the students a plant cycle activity where they color in a picture and then label it 1-2-3 or 4 based on where it comes in the plant cycle.

[Julia Panebianco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awards:none

Grade Levels: 1st grade-3rd grade

Summary: "From Seed to Plant" introduces the parts of a flower and how a flower is created to readers . It has simple language and colorful pictures with each part of the flower labeled. It teaches the concept of plant reproduction, pollination, seed dispersal and germination to students in a fun and simple way.

Review: "From Seed to Plant" is a great book to read to children around spring time or during a science unit on plants. Many children are curious to know how a plant grows and this is a wonderful book to introduce this concept. This book is filled with information and students will benefit greatly from this knowledge.

In Class Uses:
-Create a big flower diagram and have students label each part of the flower.
-Have your students grow their very own plant with soil, seeds and sunlight.

[Amalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awards: n/a

Appropriate grade level(s): 1st-3rd

Summary: This book goes through the process of how plants grow in kid friendly language. It explains important steps in the growth process with pictures and diagrams. It also compares different types of plants such as flowers, fruits and vegetables.

Review: I really like how simplified this book is for children. They are easily able to follow what the author is saying with the many labeled diagrams. I think children will enjoy reading this book since plants are something they encounter everyday in their lives.

In-class uses:
-What is informative text?
-Part of a science unit
-Introduction to growing a class plant (class project)

[Morgan Wylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: This is a non-fiction text that teaches students the process of a seed turning into a plant. It step by step gives students a visual of the amazing process of plant life and growth. Students would enjoying learning about the life cycle of a plant and how they come to be.
Evaluation: I gave this book 5 stars. Information was abundant and factual. I believe students would learn a lot from reading this book.
Teaching Point: I would use this book for a science lesson about seeds. Students could read this book before participating in a seed experiment. This would also be great to read before allowing students to plant their own seeds. This book will allow them to understand the process of a seed better.

[Connie Thorne · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Seed To Plant by Gail Gibbons is definitely a book that you want to add to your Science Plant Unit. I've used this book for several years and the students always enjoy reading and referencing it. Her vivid illustrations and clear labels in this informational text (non-fiction) make the presentation clear and concise for the younger elementary students. Gibbons describes the "seed to plant" process with her simple language, that she's so famous for. The book touches on plant reproduction, as well as the pollination process. Students will be able to discover this process with flowers, trees, and fruits. From Seed to Plant will be in my library as the students do research writings and illustrations while they discover the world of botanical science!

[Lidia Alarcon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awards: N/A

Appropriate grade level(s): pre-k - K

Summary: This book discusses the process of how plants grow. It gives information about seeds, parts of a flower, pollination etc. It also discusses the differences between different kinds of plants.

Review: I think it’s great that the illustrations in this book are labeled. It provides a vast amount of information on how plants grow. I really enjoyed reading this book and even learned a few things.

In-class uses: (1) lesson on how plants grow. (2) students grow their own plant and make observations.

[CarolineDearman RDNG4130 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book describes the process of a single seed growing into a plant. It begins by describing the different types of seeds, then follows a plant’s journey from when the seed is initially produced to when it becomes a full-grown flower, tree, bush, etc.

I liked this book. The language was easy to understand and the pictures really went along with the text. It was very informative and also interesting.

This book would be great to use in a classroom to introduce a science unit on plants. It could also be used if a students is interested in learning how to garden.

[Mallory Vickers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book originally in high school while planning and preparing a lesson for the preschool class that I had to teach. I really like this book because it can be used as a nonfiction text. I think it's a good book to do cross curriculum activities with because it is a book but also about plants. It's also a good book for younger children to introduce plants and the life cycle and key terms of plant life.

[Maddie Gerber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this book because I thought it would be great for a science lesson to teach about how seeds turn into plants. The book explains the different parts of a flower, and how insects pollinate the flowers. It mentions how flowers, vegetables, and fruits have seeds and how to plant them along with taking care of your plants. This book has pictures and labels, which would really help the students learn, and goes in order of what happens and why.

[Kevin O'Shea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Awards the book has received
None

Appropriate grade level
Preschool - Grade Two

Summary
Informational text about the life cycle of different plants. It describes the various stages of pollination, growth, and germination with good detail.

Review
Brief and simple, the book does a good job of explaining the various stages of different seeds and what they grow into.

In-class uses
1. Class activity to grow plants
2. Parts and life cycle of plants lesson

[Hannah Walling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informational

Grade level: PK-5

Star rating: I gave this book this star rating because this book uses simple language and great illustrations to help students of all ages learn about different natural processes like pollination.

Unique feature: I really liked the colorful and clear diagrams in this book. This makes it easy for students to see the different parts of plants and all the different kinds of seeds. I also like all the interesting facts about plants placed throughout the book.

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

My children listened to the audiobook version. I'm certain the illustrations are what makes this book, so let's just say "words only" was less than ideal. Informative yes. But you could tell that there were a lot of words the author had illustrated to show what they were or how they worked (ie. the different parts of a flower). The words alone didn't do it justice. We will be tracking down this picture book the next time we go to the library however.

[Ayrriana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: There are no characters in this book. Theres no conflict in the book. The setting takes place outside. This story is about seeds and how seeds grow from a tiny seed into a pretty plant. This is a informational book about how to turn a plant into a plant.

Rating: 3

Explanation: I found this book boring, but I feel like younger children will enjoy it. They'll enjoy learning what a seed can grow and create. It's a good book for teachers to use to teach a lesson on plants.

[Morgan Marquess]

Lexile: 560L
Age: Young children
Flowers, trees, fruits--plants are all around us, but where do they come from? With
simple language and bright illustrations, non-fiction master Gail Gibbons introduces
young readers to the processes of pollination, seed formation, and germination.
Important vocabulary is reinforced with accessible explanation and colorful, clear
diagrams showing the parts of plants, the wide variety of seeds, and how they grow.

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would most definitely use this book as an introduction to a science lesson. I love how it has a project at the end and I believe it is very doable. If I am unable to teach science (some school systems leave out science and history) then I can use this during a reading lesson to combine both reading and science.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty good book with descriptive illustrations of the process of going from a seed to a plant. Most of the content is taught during the school year. It served well as a review, but would also work well to use as I teach the material.

I've learned that I tend to enjoy Gail Gibbons' books.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book introduces the topic of seeds growing into plants to young children. Through simple dialog and colourful illustrations, children are shown and explained simple plant anatomy related to plant reproduction, pollination techniques, and seed distribution.

[Norah Coyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like books that explain things clearly, and From Seed to Plant made learning about plants feel really easy and interesting. This book by Gail Gibbons describes how seeds grow, how plants reproduce, and what they need to survive. The explanations were simple and taught me real science. Growth and the cycle of life are major themes in this book. Growth was portrayed by this book, because it showed step by step how a seed becomes a plant. The other one, the cycle of life, can be viewed from pollination and how the plants produce new seeds. This is mainly an informational nonfiction book. When children read this book, they learn about the process of sprouting and about different parts of a plant, which are the important concepts in science. This was a WOW book for me because it made science fun and clear, and the pictures helped me understand things that I did not know before.

The author used many craft techniques while writing. First, Gail Gibbons used diagram-style illustrations to show each step of a plant's life. For example, she labels the parts of a flower and visually explains pollination. This enhances the book because these complex ideas are very easy to see and understand. Then, she used sequencing, presenting information in the exact order it happens in real life-from seed, to sprout, to full grown plant. For example, the book starts with planting a seed and goes all the way through how it finally becomes a flowering plant. This writing craft helped the book feel organized and clear. I would call this an antibias book because it gives all readers equal access to scientific knowledge and encourages curiosity about the natural world regardless of background. It shows that anybody can learn and explore science.

[Elizabeth Parker]

From Seed to Plant
Gibbons, G. (1996). From Seed to Plant. Holiday House.

Genre and Format: Picture book; informational nonfiction.

From Seed to Plant explains the process of how plants grow from seeds, detailing germination, pollination, and the development of fruits and flowers. The book provides clear, age-appropriate explanations of plant biology and encourages young readers to observe and explore the natural world around them.

Format and Illustrations: The book features clear, colorful illustrations and labeled diagrams that visually support the text. Step-by-step visuals of plant growth, combined with concise, explanatory sentences, make complex scientific processes accessible to early elementary students.

Content Area / Curriculum Tie-Ins:
- Science: Plant life cycles, seeds, germination, pollination, photosynthesis
- ELA: Informational text, sequencing, vocabulary development, cause and effect
- Social Studies: Human interaction with plants, gardening, agriculture
- Writing: “All About” books, observation journals, plant growth reports
- STEM: Scientific observation, experimentation, data collection
- Social-Emotional Learning: Curiosity, patience, responsibility in caring for plants