Dandelion Adventures by L. Patricia Kite, Anca Hariton (Illustrator), Anca Hariton (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

Follows seven dandelion seed parachutes which the wind blows into the air and which land in different circumstances as an example of the way in which a common plant regenerates.

Children's Literature

When you blow on the puffy white ball of a dandelion, what happens to those seeds? This author and illustrator take kids on an adventure following seven tiny seeds. The story is fascinating and beautifully illustrated in soft pastel watercolors by Hariton. Don't miss the collection of dandelion facts at the end including the fact that there were no dandelions in North America until the European settlers arrived.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2--This easy-to-read book tells the fate of seven dandelion-seed parachutes carried off by the wind, showing how some will grow into plants and some will not survive. One takes root only to be pulled out by a gardener and then grow back again later. Another lodges in a sidewalk crack and lies dormant for two years before sprouting. A bird eats the third seed. The life cycle of the dandelion is explained in the context of the adventures. A line or two of text accompanies each single- or double-page picture. Beginning readers will be able to follow the clues in the dreamy, pastel watercolors. The dandelions are clearly rendered and easy to recognize. A drawing of the parachute ball with one less seed appears in the bottom corner of each page as the story progresses. Facts about the flower's name, where the plant comes from, and its uses appear at the end. There's enough of a story here to serve as a read aloud and there's plenty of information, too.--Martha Gordon, formerly at South Salem Library, NY

Kirkus Reviews

Dandelion Adventures (32 pp.; PLB paper Feb. 1; PLB 0-7613-0037-6; paper 0-7613-0377-4): A travel guide to the possible routes of seven dandelion seeds. When a dandelion disperses its seeds, each travels a different path. One seed lands in a city sidewalk crack, another on a muddy stream bed. A third seed never gets a chance to grow—it gets gobbled up by a bird. The miniature parachutes that survive start a new generation of plants. Information at the end of the book answers factual questions readers will have, ranging from folklore about dandelions to the length of the taproot. Hariton takes her inspiration from dandelion fluff; her pastel watercolors have a fuzzy, airy quality that makes even friendlier the "family history" of this commonplace sunny-faced weed. (Picture book. 3- 7)

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