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.