Seed, Soil, Sun. With these simple ingredients, nature creates our food. Once again, noted author Cris Peterson brings both wonder and clarity to the subject of agriculture, celebrating the cycle of growth, harvest, and renewal. Using the corn plant as an example, she takes the reader through the story of germination and growth of a tiny corn seed into a giant plant reaching high into the air, with roots extending over six feet into the ground. This American Farm Bureau Foundation's Agriculture Book of the Year also discusses the make-up of soil and the amazing creatures who live there—from microscopic one-celled bacteria to moles, amoebas, and earthworms. David Lundquist's stunning photographs bring an immediacy and vibrancy to the seemingly miraculous process. Gr 1-3–This introduction to how seeds become food is a standout in a widely covered field. Clearly written in simple language, the narrative is often poetic as the growth of seeds planted in soil, watered by rain, and powered by the sun is explained. The photographs throughout are crisp and vibrant. The close-ups are stunning, from the fragile-looking leaf breaking through impenetrable-looking dirt clods to the fuzzy hairs of brand-new leaves, backlit by the sun. The transformation of a corn seed that can be held between a child's fingers into a mature plant that the child needs to stand on a step ladder to reach is succinctly accomplished in one paragraph and three photographs. The partnership of farmers and seeds, soil and sun is highlighted in this accessible explanation of this agricultural cycle.–Frances E. Millhouser, formerly at Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VAα(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. After establishing that most of our food comes from seeds that grow with the help of soil and sunlight, this straightforward book talks a little about each element in the title, how it relates to the growing plant, and how photosynthesis allows the plant to make energy. The last few pages tell how we consume the plants’ stored energy as food: “When you eat lettuce, you are eating a leaf. When you eat celery, you are eating a stem,” and so on. The book concludes with a short source bibliography and a good recommended-reading list. The simple, direct text is well matched with the clear color photos that illustrate the book. Posed photos of children holding plants, earthworms, soil, and foods are interspersed with equally well-composed, well-lit pictures of growing plants and other scenes of farm life. A good starting place for learning about the process by which seeds grow into the foods we eat. Grades K-3. --Carolyn Phelan "A sturdy addition for its graceful language and cheery pictures." --Kirkus Reviews "A standout in a widely covered field." --School Library Journal "A wonderful resource for science classes studying plants or farms of food, this volume makes the cycle of growth readily understandable. Bibliography." --Library Media Connection Cris Peterson is the author of ten books for children, and has been honored by dairy and agricultural organizations across the United States. She was named National Dairy Woman of the Year at the World Dairy Expo. in 2004. Ms. Peterson and her family run a dairy farm in Grantsburg, Wisconsin. David Lundquist is the photographer of Fantastic Farm Machines and Clarabelle: Making Milk and So Much More . His work has won numerous national awards and international recognition. Mr. Lundquist lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.