Oh Say Can You Seed?

Oh Say Can You Seed?

Written by Bonnie Worth

Illustrated by Aristides Ruiz

Random House, Inc., 2001

48 Pages

Informational

     Scouring the science section, I catch a glimpse of the Cat in the Hat. Who misplaced this delightful children's story? Who would do that? I snatch it up out of curiousity only to find that was exactly where it belonged the whole entire time! Oh Say Can You Seed? is the amusing tale of a journey of a little boy and girl alongside the Cat in the Hat, Thing 1, and Thing 2. With the Cat in the Hat as their guide, these children are sure to learn lots of valuable information! Why are plants important? How do plants come to be? What do plants need to survive? Check out Oh Say Can You Seed? to find the answers to these questions and so many more!

     I was astonished to find that Oh Say Can You Seed? was not actually written or illustrated by Dr. Suess. Both the text and detailed drawings are very Suessian. I believe Ruiz did a wonderful job staying true to Dr. Suess' vision for these characters. Because the Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and Thing 2 are primary characters in this story, I believe many children would be drawn to this nonfiction book. Dr. Suess' characters are easily recognizable and shared favorites across many generations. I believe Ruiz's illustrations of these beloved characters will motivate students to read, listen, and learn about plants and seeds. Aristides Ruiz also incorporates numerous diagrams with headings, labels, and captions. These informational text features are sure to assist readers in understanding plant growth.

     Obviously, this book would work well with a lesson on plants or seeds. The story covers many aspects of plants: uses, kinds of plants, parts of a seed, parts of a plant, life cycle, kinds of leaves, things plants need to survive, parts of a flower, fruit, pollination, and how seeds travel. In my practicum, my third grade students are currently growing their own bean plants. I think it would be a wonderful idea to have read this book prior, as it specifically identifies parts of a bean plant. Then, introduce the science experiment and allow students to grow their own bean plants and chart the growth over time. Using this book as a tool, I think it would be excellent to engage students in the life cycle of a plant by sorting them in groups and having them reenact how a seed turns into a plant. For instance, one group would be seeds, another would be rain, another sunshine, another flowers, etc.. Students would have a blast acting out their role while also learning about plant life cycles. Originating from a Dr. Suess classic, this book would also be a great story to use when talking about poetry and rhyme scheme. Written entirely in four-lined stanzas and ABCB rhyme, Oh Say Can You Seed? would be a great example to use in the classroom. Depending on the grade level, students could identify rhyming words, or even the rhyme scheme and create their own four-lined stanza using end rhyme. The grade level listed for this book is K-2; however, I think it may be best suited for grades 2-4. I feel that the large quantity of scientific information may interfere with Kindergartener's comprehension. Fourth graders, on the other hand, could effectively read this and identify key facts about seeds independently.