This picture book is the perfect introduction to teach children about gardening or farming or the general growth cycle in the chain of life. I loved the images and the idea in the text of the seed containing the knowledge of the sunflower. The illustrations were bold and bright and matched the text very well. Swanson did a great job of incorporating her gardening experiences with her son into this book. ( )

"To be like the Sun" is a really beautiful story. It is about a little girl who plants a sunflower seed, and watches as it grows. She watches it through its entire life cycle. This story uses very delicate vocabulary, I love the way it is worded. I think this is a great book for the classroom. It challenges children to think about the wording and what the deeper meaning of the story is. ( )

In the book "to be like the Sun," the author takes the readers through the journey of how a sunflower grows. It shows a little girl talking to the sunflower when it is just a seed in the beginning. Throughout the story the reader gets to see how the sunflower changes throughout the seasons and how much it grows. It takes the reader through the steps of how a plant comes from a seed and becomes a beautiful plant. It also shows how plants count on certain things like water and light. These things make the plants grow and strive throughout its life. The book also shows how the sunflower resembles the sun. It also represents how the sun is one of the most important parts of a plants life. The story ends where the child is looking at the picture of the sunflower in the spring but it is now winter and the plant is no longer there. This part shows the readers how different weather affects the plants. ( )

This is a really fun book written from the perspective of a flower and other things found in a garden. It is also informational because it talks about how flowers and plants need the sun in order to grow. I would pair this book with more informational texts. ( )

A young girl plants a sunflower seed. As she cares for the seed every day, she watches it grow taller and taller. She loves the plant, and celebrates it growth with every inch. How can something so simple provide that mush happiness for the little girl. Anything is possible, and a little happiness can make things even more fun. ( )