Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow? by Susan Shea (2011, Blue Apple Books) is simple, delightfully fun picture book for the discerning child. Using windowed lift-the-flap pages, Shea asks which things around us grow, using familiar growing progression as a comparison. For example, my favorite one was this, “if a kit grows and becomes a fox, can a watch grow and become a clock?” The watch face becomes a clock face with the flip of the flap and there is a page turn that allows him to answer. As a result, my 4-year-old son loves the interactive aspect of reading the book, and laughed at the progressions that were obviously silly to him. I loved the rhyming of the book, and the ultimate conclusion was perfect for my growing big boy. Beyond the lift-the-flap aspect to the illustrations, the pictures are bright and colorful.
Not only is the book fun for the readers, but it is also educational, as it helps a child understand which things are alive and which ones are not, a concept that may be confusing for children in a world where many things do grow. Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow? is a wonderful selection for the young child and parent to enjoy together.
These are fantastic choices! I adore Can You Make A Scary Face as well as Red Wagon. I’m also hoping to pick up Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow? soon as I’ve been seeing it everywhere recently. Looks fantastic!
I also wanted to say Congratulations on your BBAW Short List nomination today as well! :o)
The1stdaughter (Danielle) » We have really enjoyed DO YOU KNOW WHICH ONES WILL GROW? I think it’s Raisin’s favorite of the ones I mention here. And thanks for the congrats 🙂
I bookmarked this post when you first published it, and I’ve finally gotten around to placing several of the books you mention on hold for my niece! Thanks so much: I love your occassional children’s books round ups. 😀
I’m glad you like it, Eva! I’ll probably be doing these more often in the future, since picture books are my main reading these days…or at least it feels like it!
My niece loved Red Wagon so much that when we finished, she had me start over again from the beginning! 🙂 Thank You Bear was a big hit too. Have you read The House that Jill Built w Raisin? It’s got a million little flaps to look under, a fold out page, AND a pop up at the end that you lift up the roof to peek into. Niece was in heaven!
Eva, I haven’t read THE HOUSE THAT JILL built yet! I am not generally a fan of The house that Jack built because the repetition is killer but if the book has flaps and all that, I’m sure it would be more interesting…
This isn’t the poem, which I agree w you is too repetitive! It starts w Jill building a house for herself & her cat, and then various fairy tale characters want to live with her, so she has to add rooms. hehe
Eva, glad to hear it…even more eager to find the book now!
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