Illustrated by: Crockett Johnson
Recommended for: Children Ages 4-8
Themes: Fiction, Science, Character Education
Summary:
A story about a young boy who plants a carrot seed and is hopefully that it will grow, even though everyone else tells him that it won't. He continues to protect his seed by picking the weeds around it and keeping it watered and watching with hope that it will grow. Then one day the carrot grows, just as he thought it would.
Children will enjoy the simple and predictable pattern of the story. This pictures are also simple and will allow children to feel as though they can read the story independently. They will enjoy the happy ending and the wonderful picture of the gigantic carrot that grows from the little seed.
Suggestions for the Classroom:
This is a wonderful book for teaching children about persistence and believing in themselves. It teaches them to keep working hard and believing in themselves, even when others may put them down. This book can also be used to assist with teaching a Science lesson about plants and what they need to grow.
*Pre-Reading Activities: Discuss the parts of a flower with students (stem, roots, leaves and flowers) and what all living things need to grow in comparison to what all living plants need to grow (food, water, shelter and sun).
During Reading: While you are reading the book give students opportunities to make connections with the little boy (modeling for them ways in which to make good connections. Such as, Have you ever grown something? (I like to grow flowers in my garden, I plant new seed and small flowers each year just like the little boy: text-to-self) and Have you ever felt that you could do something, even when other people told you that you couldn't? (I read a book called Amazing Grace, the other children told her that she couldn't be Peter Pan because he is a boy but she practiced anyway and got the part: text-to-text)
Post-Reading Activities: Have students plant a seed, tend to it, and watch it grow (using a clear plastic glass, soil, seeds, and water). The students will enjoy taking care of their plant and watching it grow. This will teach them to be responsible for their plant in order to help it grow.
Ruth Krauss and Crocket Johnson were married in 1941 and collaborated on several children's books, including: TheCarrot Seed, How to Make the Earthquake, Is This You?, and The Happy Egg. Krauss wrote many children's books but also was an author of theatrical poems targeted for an adult audience.
Crockett Johnson was the pen name of David Johnson Liask, who worked both as a writer and illustrator of children's literature. He is also famous for being the creator of the Barnaby cartoons that were in the daily newspaper but did hand over this job to Jack Morely and Ted Ferro in 1946. In the later part of his career, Johnson found a love for geometric shapes and painted over 100 canvas paintings using these shapes.
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