Oh how I wish I had been able to use this book in a live storytime setting. It's a fascinating nonfiction books about using colors to communicate. I think kiddos would learn so many facts and tidbits! I learned stuff!!! Discovering that red flowers mostly attract birds makes sense (think hummingbird food!). And yellow attracts bees.......

Again, this fuels the "make nonfiction fun" trend! ( )

I think this book would be super fun for lower elementary students to read during a science lesson. This book takes you through how flowers communicate with you through what color they are. Some colors tell you what kind of flower they are while other colors tell you who they provide for (like birds and bees). This book brings interesting nature information in a fun and bright way. ( )

This book is narrated by a cactus that is a little bit grumpy but also very cute. He is letting the reader in on the secrets of flowers. These secrets have to do with what flowers are saying because humans have silly beliefs about what flowers are saying. This cactus is here to set the record straight. I like this book because of how the narrative is written. It does a good job pulling the reader in and making you want to keep reading. I would use this book when talking about either pollinators or flowers. ( )

This is a great book for younger grades because of the language and humor of the book. It is very playful, as well as a little bit sarcastic, but at the same time informational and there's a lot to learn. It is about a flower "talking" to the kids, or readers explaining the importance of flower colors and what they are for specifically. The flower talks about how the colors are important to specific animals or bugs and the importance of each color. I think that This would be great to implement in a lesson being taught on flower growth because not only are you learning how flowers grow, but the importance of flowers. ( )

"We sit here growing, minding our own business while you guys go on about how red roses stand for love and white ones are good for weddings and all kinds of mushy, ridiculous stuff. What a load of fertilizer!"

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

I loved this! We loved this! You'll love this (at least I hope you will)! Flower Talk was funny, witty, and educational. The narrator is the purple cactus you see on the cover, and the kiddos and I enjoyed its grumpy, straightforward attitude. I laughed! We laughed! You'll laugh (at least I hope you will)!

Flower Talk is a story about plants and how they survive. It talks about pollination, how a flower's coloring attracts certain insects, and what those insects do to ensure their survival. Butterflies are more likely to land on this color, while bees prefer that one, and flies are (unsurprisingly) attracted to the flowers that smell terrible.

"The flower gets pollen, but the fly gets nothing. The only rotten thing around here is the deal."

This may be a children's book, but I immediately wanted a copy for myself our shelves! We've read it many, many times now, and it's quickly becoming a bedtime favorite -- especially with the amazing illustrations! The pictures grab your attention and make it really hard to turn the page.

Flower Talk is the whole package: a fantastic story with wonderful illustrations and a little education on the side (there's additional information at the end that's pretty great, too).

Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? on February 9, 2019. ( )