Flow, Spin, Grow: Looking for Patterns in Nature

by Barss, Todd Stewart (Illustrator)

Overview

Branching, spiraling, spinning—you can find patterns almost anywhere in nature, if you look for them. This book is a starting point that introduces kids to some major patterns in the natural world. Just as the branches of a tree spread upwards into the sky, roots branch deep into the ground. Branches also spread through our bodies, inside our lungs and veins. Storms and snail shells spiral; electrons and galaxies spin.



With brief text and full-spread illustrations, this book is designed to inspire kids to observe, discover, and explore hidden structures and shapes in the natural world around them. Why are things the way they are? This question, key to scientific inquiry, runs throughout the text.



Artwork in multilayered screen prints shows how the natural world is inherently beautiful, from the curve of your ear to the spiraling arms of our galaxy. Kids will come away with a deeper understanding that we are all connected to nature and part of its patterns.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771472876
Publisher:	Owlkids Books
Publication date:	10/15/2018
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,163,677
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

PATCHEN BARSS has written, edited and produced stories about science, research and culture for more than 20 years. His writing has appeared in Nautilus Magazine, Scientific American, the Globe and Mail, National Post, and Toronto Star. He has been a producer at CBC Television and the Discovery Channel, and has a longstanding fascination with patterns and nature. He lives with his family in Toronto, Ontario.

TODD STEWART trained as a landscape architect and urban planner but now works as an illustrator. Originally from Saskatchewan, he now lives in Montreal, Quebec, and runs a small-scale print studio. He is also the illustrator of See You Next Year.

Editorial Reviews

"Flow Spin Grow ultimately aims not to lead but inspire children to make their own discoveries, to be their own scientists."

Quill & Quire

The book is a different take on a familiar concept and could be used in multiple subject areas.

School Library Connection

"[Flow Spin Grow] invites you to move, to observe [and] to participate in the world around us."

Archimedes Notebook

"The large, rhyming action words on each page will capture young readers’ attentions."

Booklist

"The large, rhyming action words on each page will capture young readers’ attentions."

Booklist

09/01/2018
PreS-Gr 2—Nature and patterns go hand in hand, as Barss and Stewart delightfully display throughout this young nonfiction choice. Within these pages are multiple levels of story. At the most primary level, the biggest display words on the page—if read sequentially—create a simple poem that spans the entire book. (These big words are the poem that is displayed on the first spread.) At a more complex level, Barss heightens those display words by relating them to a pattern in nature through lyrical prose. At yet another level, Stewart's beautifully muted illustrations are filled with patterns. At first, readers may notice simple line formations and polygons creating the bigger picture; but when they look closer, they may notice lightly-colored lines in the background that relate to the words on the page. Although the light lines are much more noticeable on the darker spreads, a close look will reveal them on each page. The illustrations are immersive and jammed with detail, encouraging readers to scrutinize and appreciate each page. The author's note at the back of the book delves more into patterns in nature and recommends a number of additional books about the topic for readers of all ages. VERDICT A good addition to any early nonfiction collection. An especially wonderful book to read aloud and discuss with young nature-lovers.—Kristin Unruh, Siersma Elementary School, Warren, MI

School Library Journal

2018-08-14

A science-based book designed to encourage readers to explore nature.

The opening double-page spread shows children in a pastoral setting engaged in a variety of activities: lying in the grass, playing with sand, looking off into the distance beyond what appears to be a fence, etc. These actions all pair well with the text, which encourages readers to "Explore, find more, join the show." Each spread features a key word or words set in outsized type, though the design (specifically, the placement of words on the page) is not consistent—odd in a book about patterns. The use of perspective in this book is particularly noteworthy, including aerial views, views from below, and cross-sections, which will help keep readers engaged despite the muted colors. The subdued palette is an interesting choice for a book focused on nature, which often comes in vibrant and rich hues. The illustrations (a combination of silkscreen printing and digital media) portray a racially diverse cast of characters and highlight patterns and details as the text gives examples of spinning, whirling, and twirling in nature. Barss emphasizes that different things can be examples of the same concept (like branches in trees, rivers, bodies), neatly communicating complicated ideas to youngsters.

Though the design is inconsistent, the combination of clear illustrations and easy-to-read-aloud text will help make complex concepts understandable, especially for younger readers. (author's note) (Informational picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews

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