Acorn to Oak Tree (LifeCycles) Hardcover – January 7, 2011

These books are fantastic resources for teaching children, especially older pre-school aged children. They are books that start with the beginning of something such as a plant, insect, or animal and explain the whole life cycle and ends with how new organisms come to be.These books are organized wonderfully to make them easy and accessible resources. They start with a table of contents that showcase each topic the book discusses. Included on the table of contents are the Glossary and Index at the end of the book. The glossary is extra user-friendly because throughout the books words in bold are words that are explained at the glossary at the end of the book. Also at the end of the books is a “notes for parents and teachers” seciotn with extra tips on how to use the books to teach concepts and ideas for simple extension activities.I love how actual photographs are used throughout these books instead of drawn illustrations. I feel that it makes these books more informative for young children and more easily applicable. The photographs are bright and beautiful and are labeled with bright bullet points. Each page is organized thoughtfully so as to look clean and be simple to understand. Something I really appreciate when trying to use books to teach small children. These are ones I would recommend without hesitation. *I received this book in exchange for an honest opinion, which this is.

Acorn to Oak Tree by Camilla de la Bedoyere is a lovely introduction to the basic concepts of botany and terms such as leaves, stem, roots, trunk, branches, and bark. Plant development is explained through a step-by-step look from the autumn germination of an acorn, to seedling, sapling, and ultimately to a mature tree. Discussions include tree rings, growth rates, male and female flower parts, acorns, seasonal changes and ways in which oak trees provide resources for animal life and timber consumers.True to the series concept, the text is readily accessible for children and accented with illustrations featuring crisp, up-close photographs, and clearly labeled diagrams. Notes for parents and teachers provide related activities for further exploration. A glossary and index complete the 24 page paperback book.