Daisylocks

Habitats

by Marianne Berkes, Cathy Morrison (Illustrator)

Daisylocks needs a home that is just right. She asks Wind to help her find the perfect habitat to spread her roots, and he accepts the challenge. Wind blows Daisylocks to the plain, the mountain and the wetland. She objects to each place one by one--too cold, too hard, too wet. Daisylocks is not ready to give up! They try the humid rainforest and then the warm beach; those are not just right either. Will Wind find the perfect climate and soil for Daisylocks to place her roots and grow into a beautiful flower?

Genres: Picture Books, Nature, Science, Childrens, Plants, Animals

32 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2014

Reviews

[Dianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title character of Daisylocks is a daisy seed. She doesn't want to be planted in a garden, so she asks the wind to blow her around until she finds a better place. The wind agrees, but nowhere Daisylocks goes is "just right." She travels around to many different climates and soil types, but of course ends up back where she started, which is the best place for her after all.

This is non-fiction masquerading as a story. I don't have a problem with this; both my children love facts. My four-year-old says she liked this book "a ton."

The pictures are engaging, although a few times it was hard to spot the main character (understandably, as seeds are tiny!). The white wind gusts helpfully lead our attention toward the seed.

All in all, this is a fun, educational book to read to my kids, and would be perfect in a classroom unit about climate or plants or habitat. There are even copyable information sheets in the back.

I received a copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads program.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Daisylocks, a daisy, isn't happy with where she's been planted, the wind kindly blows her to other places. But it turns out that each place is too hot, too wet, too hard or simply just not right in some way. Of course, Daisylocks will remind readers of Goldilocks and her indecision about porridge and places to sit and sleep, and readers will not be surprised that she eventually ends up right where she started. The illustrations are filled with rich colors and lovingly show each habitat to its advantage.

[Mantidfly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting idea for a story. Covered lots of great Spanish vocabulary for different landscapes.

[Wayne Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you remember Goldilocks and the three bears, and how Goldilocks never seemed satisfied with the bowls porridge, the rocking chairs, and the beds? Daisylocks is a daisy seed who isn’t satisfied with where she’s being planted, so she asks the Wind to help her find the perfect habitat to spread her roots. So Wind blows her to the hot, dry desert; the cold, frozen tundra, where there are three polar bears; the top of a mountain; the Everglades wetland; the humid tropical rainforest; and the sandy beach. However, these landscapes are just too hot, too cold, too hard, too soft, too crowded, or too sandy. Where will Daisylocks wind up? Will she ever find the perfect climate and soil to place her roots and grow into a beautiful flower?

Author Marianne Berkes and illustrator Cathy Morrison combine to pack a lot of fascinating and eye-catching material about nature for youngsters in Daisylocks. Not only are there descriptions of the different kinds of Earth habitats with colorful pictures of the kinds of plants and animals which inhabit each of them, but there is also a discussion of the difference between perennials and annuals. Do you know which kind a daisy is? The “For Creative Minds” pages in the back include additional information on plants, including their basic needs and their parts, and a couple of matching exercises about habitats and plants. And there are even more teaching activities available at the publisher’s website. Remembering Goldilocks and the three bears, children will be eager to find the other scene in the book, besides the cover, that shows three bears.

[Dena McMurdie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, I've been impressed with the quality of books that Arbordale Publishing has put out this spring. My kids like this particular book because it's about a daisy seed that is looking for a good place to set down roots and call home. With spring deciding to show up, it's the perfect book to spark the kiddos' imaginations and get them thinking about nature.

It's more than just a book about spring, however. Daisylocks travels on the wind to different geographical areas and tries them all out. She goes to the desert, the jungle, the beach, and so forth. The illustrations give kids a visual to go along with Daisylock's travels. They show the wildlife and vegetation in each location. Kids get a wonderful sense of place and atmosphere as the little seed tries out the ground in each area.

The story is simple and designed to inform kids about geography and springtime. It's another good book for the classroom or homeschoolers. There is a section in the back that offers additional information on plants, their habitats, and what they need to grow. For more activities and information, you can visit the publisher's website.

My blog: Batch of Books

[Mymcbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Review: Daisylocks is a story about a seed that doesn’t want to be planted in a garden. She felt that there must be a better place where she can live and thrive. So she asked the wind to help find her a better place by blowing the seeds from place to place until she was happy. Plants need a better place to grow. They need to absorb nutrients and water from a healthy soil and be free of weeds and rocks.

There are 4 pages of learning activities where children can learn about plants basic needs like the air, water, nutrients and sunlight. The different plant parts like flowers, leaves, stem, and root. The illustrations by Cathy Morrison are fantastic, rich in colors and helps bring the story to life. I highly recommend this book for classroom teaching.




FTC Disclosure: I received a review copy of these books from Arbordale Publishing in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion in any way.

[ACS Book-finder · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations throughout this book are outstanding. The pictures grab your heart.

Daisylocks is a a plant looking for the right place to take root and grow healthy. Throughout this book Daisylocks searches all over the world trying to find that certain, perfect place. She doesn't believe that where she was planted is the best location for her. Through many discoveries and environments she realizes that where she was first planted is after all the perfect spot for her to flourish.

I recommend this book to everyone! It is an amazing story and might be my favorite children's book! (rev. B.Barlow, Parent)

DISCLOSURE: A complimentary copy of Daisylocks was provided by the publisher, Abordale Publishing, in exchange for our honest review. Opinions expressed are solely those of the reviewer. No compensation was received for the review.

[Kelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Age: Preschool-1st grade
Nature: Seeds

Daisylocks is a tiny seed that asks the wind to transport her to grow in a new landscape but she finds that these distant lands aren't quite what she needs. While the story line is a cute one, the incorporation of nonfiction facts feels clunky and sometimes out of place. In the middle of the book, Daisylocks tells the wind that she needs to be cultivated by hand not by the wind. The story line then continues on as the wind tries to find the seed a new home--but didn't we just establish that she needs to be planted by hand?

The supplementary material is great, providing information on the basic needs of plants, match the habitats, plant parts, and a match the plant game.

[Literary Classics Book Awards & Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daisylocks, written by renowned children's book author, Marianne Berkes, is the story of a daisy seed that is carried along by the wind in her quest to find the perfect place to grow. As Daisylocks floats from place to place around the world she encounters various climates, soil conditions and other factors that will affect her ability to take root and grow. Illustrations by Cathy Morrison are simply magical in this book that is an excellent resource for teachers in classroom settings, and would be a terrific selection for home and school libraries.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great narrative about the types of ecosystems that exist and why each one is important for each type of plant. It is interesting enough for a child to read, but also informative. The pictures are beautiful, and I especially enjoyed the personification of the daisy seed and the wind.

[Sheila Craan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. It's educational and entertaining. I enjoyed the way the wind communicated with the seed. Finally, the seed made an awesome decision and decided where she was planted was the best place in the world for her to spread her roots.

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Realistic drawings help students learn about how the wind spreads seeds.