Daisylocks
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 tundra, the desert, the mountains and the wetlands. She objects to each place one by one—too cold, too too hot, too hard, too soft. 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?
Written by Marianne Berkes
Illustrated by Cathy Morrison 32 pg, 10 x 8.5, Ages 4-8, Grades PK-3
Lexile: 640, F&P: O
Hardcover ISBN: 9781628552065, $17.95
Paperback ISBN: 9781628552157, $9.95
Educator Keywords: basic needs, habitats, plants, seeds
REVIEWS
Kirkus Reviews-February 2014
The story of a daisy seed looking for the best place to grow is here used as a tool to introduce different habitats.
Dissatisfied with where she’s first planted, Daisylocks—the reference to Goldilocks becomes clear as the pages turn—asks Wind to assist her, and across the pages she arcs, looking rather a lot like a dandelion seed with a contrail. First, Wind takes her to the desert, which is too hot. The tundra is too cold, and the wetlands are too wet. Daisylocks and Wind banter, till Wind gets rather exasperated, pointing out finally that where she was originally planted was the only place that was “just right!”—and that is where she ends up. A large, clear sans-serif type allows the text to stand out, in black or white, against hyper-realistic, close-up double-page spreads of rain forest, beach, mountain and so on, all full of plant and animal life. The bottom right-hand corner of each spread shows the growth of an actual daisy, from tiny seed to full flowering, and that’s lovely. Backmatter on plants and habitats is included (and can be reproduced for educational use); other such items can be found on the publisher’s website.
Though it’s too bad Daisylocks’ botanical name (Bellis perennis) is never used, it’s nevertheless an inventive introduction to habitats.