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Zoey and Sassafras #5
The Pod and the Bog
With magical animals, science, mystery, and adventure -- the series Zoey and Sassafras has something for everyone! Easy-to-read language and illustrations on nearly every page make this series perfect for a wide range of ages. In the fifth book, an old friend visits Zoey at the barn with a mysterious glowing. . . seed pod? Zoey, Sassafras, and Pip must work together to discover what this mysterious rare magical plant needs to grow before all the seeds crumble to purple dust! Each story in the Zoey and Sassafras series features a new magical animal with a problem that must be solved using science. There isn't a set formula for each book; Zoey sometimes needs to run experiments, while other times she needs to investigate a mystery, and yet other times she needs to do research. Zoey models how to keep a science journal through her handwritten entries in each story. Each story is complete with a glossary of the kid-friendly definitions for scientific terms used. The series highlights child-led inquiry science and the topics covered align with both Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards.
96 pages, Paperback
First published March 20, 2018
118 people are currently reading
405 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
February 28, 2024
What a great story to teach younger children not only about plants, but also about science. it was also a quick short story to get kids reading more.
February 15, 2020
My daughter and I LOVED this book!!
I've been looking for more read aloud books to share with her (she's five and a half), and she's really interested in science, so when I found out about Zoey and Sassafrass, it was kismet.
It was really well written, and the chapters are just long enough, with just enough pictures sprinkled throughout, to hold her interest. She loves Sassafras, and his silly tail. She also liked that she and Zoey have some things in common, which I think is a great way for her to learn that people who look different from her are really not that different at all.
And for myself, I'd really like to see a giant, rainbow glowing seed pod in real life.
We look forward to tackling the rest of the stack of these books we got from the library!
I've been looking for more read aloud books to share with her (she's five and a half), and she's really interested in science, so when I found out about Zoey and Sassafrass, it was kismet.
It was really well written, and the chapters are just long enough, with just enough pictures sprinkled throughout, to hold her interest. She loves Sassafras, and his silly tail. She also liked that she and Zoey have some things in common, which I think is a great way for her to learn that people who look different from her are really not that different at all.
And for myself, I'd really like to see a giant, rainbow glowing seed pod in real life.
We look forward to tackling the rest of the stack of these books we got from the library!
January 8, 2023
Pip (a favorite magical frog) shows up at the barn door with a glowing orb. Zoey soon discovers that it's a seed pod. She's worried that it could be the last of its kind so she wants to figure out how to help the plants grow. Zoey sets up some experiments and starts learning more about the plants. She hoping that if she figures out what they grow best in, her mom can help her figure out where in the forest they come from.
My least favorite in the series but only because it was about plants and not adorable little magic creatures like caterflies. The experimenting was fantastic. The author does such a good job weaving in scientific principles.
“All right, Sassafras. We’ve learned that, um …” I flipped back in my science journal. “ … the best amount of water is probably between one teaspoon and half a pot of water.”
“A bee lands on a flower to get some food.” I tapped the dandelion against the palm of my hand and showed Pip the yellow dust left behind. “When she lands, some of this pollen dust will get on her little feet. When she goes to another flower for more food, she’ll leave some of the pollen on that new flower and pick up some more.”
My least favorite in the series but only because it was about plants and not adorable little magic creatures like caterflies. The experimenting was fantastic. The author does such a good job weaving in scientific principles.
“All right, Sassafras. We’ve learned that, um …” I flipped back in my science journal. “ … the best amount of water is probably between one teaspoon and half a pot of water.”
“A bee lands on a flower to get some food.” I tapped the dandelion against the palm of my hand and showed Pip the yellow dust left behind. “When she lands, some of this pollen dust will get on her little feet. When she goes to another flower for more food, she’ll leave some of the pollen on that new flower and pick up some more.”
January 13, 2020
This book is another fabulous edition to the fun, interesting, educational Zoey and Sassafras series. I liked that in this volume, Zoey had many times where she felt anxious and took deep breaths to calm herself down. The series is showing diversity as well by examining plant life.
Preschoolers' review:
"Three stars. I liked The Pod and the Bog. I liked when Pip was there, when he came and came and came and came and came and came and go back and came and came and came. I learned just something. Some plants bloom at night AND day. There, I'm done."
"I want five stars. Five means good. How did they even come up with these books? They're great! The plants that were in the book grew next to the bog. I learned that Mom knew the fweeps. The one that grew the most was sand/moss mix. [He really liked the tables which tracked how much the plants grew.] The part that I liked the best was that the fweeps were sparkly. I liked it so much I wish we could do six stars."
Preschoolers' review:
"Three stars. I liked The Pod and the Bog. I liked when Pip was there, when he came and came and came and came and came and came and go back and came and came and came. I learned just something. Some plants bloom at night AND day. There, I'm done."
"I want five stars. Five means good. How did they even come up with these books? They're great! The plants that were in the book grew next to the bog. I learned that Mom knew the fweeps. The one that grew the most was sand/moss mix. [He really liked the tables which tracked how much the plants grew.] The part that I liked the best was that the fweeps were sparkly. I liked it so much I wish we could do six stars."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2020
Most unrealistic parts of this book: housecat who goes camping, Dad can't see magical creatures, but can smell them.
August 29, 2020
This book is delightful! A creative and exciting way to learn about the scientific method, biology, and ecology—but with magic! Zoey and her family are a fun cast of characters, and I don’t think we missed out by reading this book out of order. I think I enjoyed this book as much as my young kids (and I even learned a few things).
December 24, 2018
Super cute. I liked the experiments in this one.
September 14, 2023
I didn’t listen to much of this one because my 5yo figured out how to have Alexa “play my audible book” and she found herself a quiet spot to listen to it.
January 3, 2024
Joy says 5 stars because it’s number 5. She loved the pretty seed pods and the flower and wishes she could have some. We both learned about nighttime pollinators. We’re excited for number 6!
April 19, 2024
Experimenting to determine needs of plants (what they grow best in, how much water and sun needed, etc.). Conversations about pollinators.
January 21, 2025
My 7 year old son really enjoyed this as well. We've been reading the series together and it's been a lot of fun!
May 8, 2021
This is the first book my 7 yo and I read in the Zoey and Sassfras series (although not the first in the actual series) and she liked it. The plots are a mix of science and magic: Zoey loves doing science experiments and also has magical powers, which she shares with her mom. There's a talking frog, Pip, who is also in on their magical science explorations. In this book, they come across magical seed pods and Zoey plans a series of science experiments to figure out the habitat of the pod so that they can find where to plant the seeds/plants. I love the relationship between Zoey and her mother - they share this magical power and keep it a secret from Zoey's dad because he doesn't share the magical powers. The mother must be a scientist too because she coaches Zoey along.
March 29, 2018
From parent: Another good book in this series. My kids are fascinated by the magical creatures, they are big sci-fi fans already, and I love that they learn and review science along the way.
From child: We love the rainbow seed pod in the book. It’s interesting that magical photos keep the magic in them. I really like the character development and Pip is my favorite; he is hilarious. It’s silly that Sassafras eats every single bug.
From child: We love the rainbow seed pod in the book. It’s interesting that magical photos keep the magic in them. I really like the character development and Pip is my favorite; he is hilarious. It’s silly that Sassafras eats every single bug.
February 23, 2019
I love these little books aimed at children ages 6 to 10 because they feature a girl using science to solve problems. American cultural has made significant improvements in breaking glass ceilings since the 1960s, but we still have a long way to go. It’s books like these that will help overcome stereotypes and, hopefully, lead more girls into fields that don’t rely on beauty or body type.
Each book is basically the same format, and yet is it not: a magical creature shows up at the barn behind Zoey’s house with a problem. Zoey’s mother has been helping the wide range of creatures for years, and now Zoey, along with her best friend, Sassafras the cat, gets to help too. She has Thinking Goggles (protective eye wear) that she wears to help her think…and without realizing protecting her eyes…and a journal where she keeps all her scientific notes.
The difference between each of the books is the scientific approach Zoey must figure out to use, Sometimes she needs to do some investigation, other times research, and other times she must run experiments.
In Book 5 “The Pod and The Bog,” Pip the purple, talking frog, returns with a glowing rainbow stone. Pip explains that it’s a seed pod from a magical plant. Zoey and Sassafras have been watching and recording the growth of a pea plant. Zoey must use her research and experimental skills determine what the pod is. Tension rises as experiment after experiment fails. “The Pod and The Bog” receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.
Each book is basically the same format, and yet is it not: a magical creature shows up at the barn behind Zoey’s house with a problem. Zoey’s mother has been helping the wide range of creatures for years, and now Zoey, along with her best friend, Sassafras the cat, gets to help too. She has Thinking Goggles (protective eye wear) that she wears to help her think…and without realizing protecting her eyes…and a journal where she keeps all her scientific notes.
The difference between each of the books is the scientific approach Zoey must figure out to use, Sometimes she needs to do some investigation, other times research, and other times she must run experiments.
In Book 5 “The Pod and The Bog,” Pip the purple, talking frog, returns with a glowing rainbow stone. Pip explains that it’s a seed pod from a magical plant. Zoey and Sassafras have been watching and recording the growth of a pea plant. Zoey must use her research and experimental skills determine what the pod is. Tension rises as experiment after experiment fails. “The Pod and The Bog” receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.
September 7, 2023
Zoey and Sassafras: The Pod and the Bog is a super duper book where Zoe gets a shiny seed pod from her old friend. The pod is magical and glowing! Zoe, Pip, and Sassafras need to help the seeds grow fast before they turn into purple dust. You should totally see this pod – it's seriously amazing! Imagine having one!
The coolest part is that Zoe tries putting some plants from the seeds in the Sun, but they crumble into purple dust. So, she learns that these plants are different and they only like to grow in the Bog, not the sunny places. It's like people – everyone has their own personalities, just like these plants!
My brother is kinda like that too. He loves spiders, collects bugs, and butterflies. I'm not a fan of bugs, but he's really into them. It's like he's different from most people, and that's totally okay! Just like in the book, we're all unique. What do you think about that?
This book is amazing, and I can't wait for you to see my full review on my YouTube channel.
https://youtu.be/L-bd-GO1dkQ
The coolest part is that Zoe tries putting some plants from the seeds in the Sun, but they crumble into purple dust. So, she learns that these plants are different and they only like to grow in the Bog, not the sunny places. It's like people – everyone has their own personalities, just like these plants!
My brother is kinda like that too. He loves spiders, collects bugs, and butterflies. I'm not a fan of bugs, but he's really into them. It's like he's different from most people, and that's totally okay! Just like in the book, we're all unique. What do you think about that?
This book is amazing, and I can't wait for you to see my full review on my YouTube channel.
https://youtu.be/L-bd-GO1dkQ
July 31, 2020
This is an outstanding series! This installment focuses more on botany as Zoey tries to figure out the best growing conditions for the seeds inside a mysterious magical seed pod. If you have children sensitive to animals in peril, this would be a good choice from the series as it is on the lighter side given the focus is on helping plants instead of sick or injured animals and the humorous talking frog Pip features throughout. Both my children loved this book. As always, I appreciate Zoey's positive attitude (also that she does sometimes make mistakes) and her loving and supportive parents (who still give her age-appropriate responsibilities and the chance to study and solve problems on her own before offering help).
June 13, 2023
When Pip brings Zoey a glowing rainbow orb, she and her mom don't know what it is at first. They figure out it is a seed pod, but for what kind of plant? Can Zoey use science to figure out where the plant comes from and get the seedlings back to the right environment?
Zoey is feeling the pressure in this one because neither she nor her mom nor Pip have seen anything like it before so she wonders if it is rare, even the last of its kind. She doesn't want to kill something if it could be the last one, so her experiments feel extra important. She uses solid science to help figure out where the plant belongs with some guidance from her mom. I love the way this series blends great science thinking with a fun plot and cute fantastic creatures.
No content issues.
Zoey is feeling the pressure in this one because neither she nor her mom nor Pip have seen anything like it before so she wonders if it is rare, even the last of its kind. She doesn't want to kill something if it could be the last one, so her experiments feel extra important. She uses solid science to help figure out where the plant belongs with some guidance from her mom. I love the way this series blends great science thinking with a fun plot and cute fantastic creatures.
No content issues.
September 26, 2018
Ugh. From the description:
"With magical animals, science, mystery, and adventure -- the series Zoey and Sassafras has something for everyone! Easy-to-read language and illustrations on nearly every page make this series perfect for a wide range of ages. "
They left off that the illustrations show Zoe and family as African American, and I'm surprised, because I'm sure that's another selling point.
But all that purposefulness and easy to readability, etc, etc, doesn't make this a GOOD book. The big type style and rather corny art (what's with all the bug eyes?) makes this look like it was self published, and the writing is pedestrian.
As I said, ugh!
"With magical animals, science, mystery, and adventure -- the series Zoey and Sassafras has something for everyone! Easy-to-read language and illustrations on nearly every page make this series perfect for a wide range of ages. "
They left off that the illustrations show Zoe and family as African American, and I'm surprised, because I'm sure that's another selling point.
But all that purposefulness and easy to readability, etc, etc, doesn't make this a GOOD book. The big type style and rather corny art (what's with all the bug eyes?) makes this look like it was self published, and the writing is pedestrian.
As I said, ugh!
November 23, 2018
In this 5th Zoey and Sassafras edition, Zoey is tasked with saving a potentially endangered magical plant. With the help of her mom, her cat Sassafras, and Pip, a magical frog, Zoey uses elements of the scientific method to figure out what conditions the magical plant needs in order to thrive.
My daughter and I have greatly enjoyed the books in this series, and this one nicely reinforced the importance of a growth mindset as Zoey tries and fails to determine the ideal growing conditions for the magical plant. This is a great series for early readers and both my daughter and I are happy Citro published #6 last month!
My daughter and I have greatly enjoyed the books in this series, and this one nicely reinforced the importance of a growth mindset as Zoey tries and fails to determine the ideal growing conditions for the magical plant. This is a great series for early readers and both my daughter and I are happy Citro published #6 last month!
March 5, 2022
This was the first book in this early chapter book series that I read with my preschool son and it exceeded my expectations. It was funny and engaging, with just enough illustrations to allow a pre-reader to "read" it to himself and practice retelling the story. I loved how it illustrated how to design an experiment using the scientific method in an accessible and logical way and how to make deductions from the results. A great foundation for discussing observation skills, making hypotheses, and empowering kids to come up with creative ways to make discoveries about non-magical things in their lives.
August 11, 2018
I didn’t think I was going to be able to read this one. :-( It took quite the time to get it from the library, but it finally came! :-) In this book Zoey wraps up the notes on her own plant experiment, and is ready for a bedtime read from her mom, when they both hear the barn doorbell. It is their good friend Pip with quite the mysterious and colorful pod. In order to return the pod to the right habitat, the trio, especially Zoey, need to tap into all they know about plants, habitats, and the connecting thread...what type of habitats certain plants need in order to survive.
November 20, 2018
Fantastic as always! Great story in this one about trying to figure out the environment and needs of a magical plant. Bonus: not only was there the usual excellent experimental design, but a little bit (in kid-friendly terms) about the need to be specific about operationalizing a dependent variable!
These continue to be one of my and Violet’s favorite series of books - inventive, engaging, educational, and entertaining.
These continue to be one of my and Violet’s favorite series of books - inventive, engaging, educational, and entertaining.
February 18, 2021
LOVE this series for kids that combines scientific thinking with magical creatures. Perfect for any kids interested in science (which, let's be real, is all kids, we're born curious!) and especially veterinary medicine/taking care of animals.
This series teaches kids deeply about the scientific method in a way that engages their imaginations and is SO VITALLY AWESOME AND IMPORTANT I don't have enough caps to tell you how great it really is.
This series teaches kids deeply about the scientific method in a way that engages their imaginations and is SO VITALLY AWESOME AND IMPORTANT I don't have enough caps to tell you how great it really is.
December 11, 2021
This one didn't hold my son's attention quite as much as some previous books, possibly because it's about a magical plant rather than a magical creature, but I thought it was surprisingly engaging nonetheless. Through experimentation, Zoey has to figure out where this seed pod came from so she can replant the seeds in the right location. It's a good explanation of both research design and how plants work, set up as a mystery! We're both looking forward to continuing with this series.
March 7, 2023
My son and I are obsessed with Sassafras! The cat makes us laugh in every book in the series. My son loves science and fell in love with this series from the get-go. He learns science terms and procedures.
In this book we learn about plants, pods, and pollination.
Pip, a magical frog, is featured in this book as well. I love hearing my son act out different voices for each character. Pip's was the best
In this book we learn about plants, pods, and pollination.
Pip, a magical frog, is featured in this book as well. I love hearing my son act out different voices for each character. Pip's was the best
July 3, 2018
Another great addition to the Zoey and Sassafras series. This one would be a fun read aloud for early elementary schoolers interested in plants or during a plant unit. It would be fun to compare and contrast Zoey’s magical plant and a non-magical one and how the science discussed in the book applies to both.
July 27, 2019
Cute premise and enjoyable book for early readers. Illustrations really enhance the story and likely aid in understanding for younger readers. I like that the book was about solving a problem and doing it scientifically. The character had to create a series of experiments in order to solve the mystery - and it wasn't boring.
September 14, 2020
Love love love these book. This is the 5th in the series and I read it aloud to My 6 year old. We learned so much about plants and what it takes for them to grow. After reading such terrible books on science theme.. it’s refreshing to see how someone like Citro can craft an engaging story plus learn about science! Amen. So glad we own these books
May 13, 2018
Even though we enjoyed this one enough for my daughter to request the currently available last books in the series, I did notice that she didn't quite grasp the scientific side of plants and their growth process.
We will most likely revisit this when she is in first grade.
We will most likely revisit this when she is in first grade.
June 30, 2018
When science and magic meet, that's a great thing. I think this series is what we will begin our school year reading aloud. Science is cool. Questioning and wondering go with observation and recording. I think I'll put a little door outside our classroom...I wonder what visitors we will get!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews