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Table of Contents
About The Book
Weeds are wonderful! Persistent, exuberant…these plants have personalities, and this nonfiction picture book puts them on colorful display!
From bright yellow dandelions popping through cracks in sidewalks to purple loosestrife growing rampant along roadways, weeds offer unexpected splashes of color and life to the least likely of places. With lovely language and a sly sense of humor, this beautiful picture book celebrates the tenacious temperaments of these pesky plants and is sure to have little ones chanting, “Way to go, weeds!”
From bright yellow dandelions popping through cracks in sidewalks to purple loosestrife growing rampant along roadways, weeds offer unexpected splashes of color and life to the least likely of places. With lovely language and a sly sense of humor, this beautiful picture book celebrates the tenacious temperaments of these pesky plants and is sure to have little ones chanting, “Way to go, weeds!”
About The Author
Photograph © Catie Stephens of Vuefinder Photography
Cindy Jenson-Elliott is the author of the celebrated Weeds Find a Way illustrated by Carolyn Fisher. She is a freelance writer for a variety of newspapers, magazines, and educational publishers, as well as a teacher and natural history instructor. She has an MA in education, and she enjoys spending time outdoors in San Diego, California, where she lives with her family. Visit her at CindyJensonElliott.com.
About The Illustrator
Photograph by Becky Ackroyd
Carolyn Fisher is the author and illustrator of The Snow Show, as well as the illustrator of Goodnight, World by Willa Perlman and Weeds Find a Way by Cindy Jenson-Elliot. She teaches illustration at the Alberta College of Art and Design, and she regularly tours the country talking to people about art and book. She lives with her husband and their son in Calgary, Canada. Visit her online at CarolynFisher.com.
Product Details
- Publisher: Beach Lane Books (February 4, 2014)
- Length: 40 pages
- ISBN13: 9781442441262
- Grades: P - 3
- Ages: 4 - 8
- Lexile ® AD630L The Lexile reading levels have been certified by the Lexile developer, MetaMetrics®
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Raves and Reviews
""Good or bad, weeds offer endless opportunities to study one of nature's most wonderful tools: adaptation," writes Jenson-Elliott.... The many intriguing details will leave readers with the understanding that these plants are fighters."
– Publishers Weekly, February 2014
"Instead of lamenting their pesky invasiveness, Jenson-Elliott celebrates weeds for their heartiness and ability to disseminate and adapt...the bold colors of the mixed media/digital collage illustrations do an admirable job of making the ordinary become stunning. More detailed information about how weeds can actually be useful despite their reputation can be found in the back matter, along with a list both identifying and offering further facts about the plants pictured in the book.... Expect to have readers rooting and exploring for the ubiquitous plants."
– School Library Journal, February 2014
"With a text that celebrates their perseverance, endnotes that describe their uses and illustrations that commemorate their beauty, this book invites young readers to re-examine their view of weeds. . . . Elegant language and incidental rhymes make these pages as fun to read aloud as they are to pore over. . . . This fact-filled picture book that reads like poetry may well cause young readers to rethink the idea of unwanted guests in the garden."
– Shelf Awareness, March 4, 2014
"The language is lovely here, as seeds shoot, swirl, and poke, finding "a way to live where other plants can't grow." A little girl and her dog anchor the picture book, moving through beautiful natural landscapes…. An eye-opening look at what folks generally consider to be a nuisance."
– Booklist Online, February 2014
"This book shares information about weeds which the reader will find fascinating. The word “weeds” usually conjures up plants that are unwanted; Jenson-Elliot presents weeds in a different light. . . . The full-page illustrations are beautiful, using earth colors. . . . This book would be a wonderful read-aloud."
– Library Media Connection, August/September 2014, Recommended
Awards and Honors
- ALA Notable Children's Books
- Kansas NEA Reading Circle List PrimaryTitle
- NCTE Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts
- Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year Selection Title
- Eureka! Excellence in Nonfiction Award Honor Title (CA)
- MSTA Reading Circle List
- Wisconsin State Reading Association's Reading List
Resources and Downloads
Common Core Suggestion
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): Weeds Find a Way Enhanced eBook 9781442441262
- Author Photo (jpg): Cindy Jenson-Elliott Photograph © Catie Stephens of Vuefinder Photography(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit
