Achoo! Why Pollen Counts

By: Shennen Bersani
Publisher: Arbordale Publishing
Publication Date: May 2015
ISBN: 978-1628555592
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: June 2015

Baby Bear's eyes looked swollen and itchy and he came out of his den. Rub, rub, rub! Even his little nose ran and his eyes watered from all the pollen in the air. "Achoo! Achoo!" The pollen was everywhere and "a coat of yellow dust covered the forest outside his home." Baby Bear rolled in the clover with his toes up in the air, but that yucky yellow pollen stuck to his coat. Even Valerie Vole began to sneeze when she came out of her burrow. "Achoo! Achoo!" what to do?

Rubbing up against tree bark was a great way to get rid of some of that yucky pollen. "It's messy. It's itchy, " Baby Bear exclaimed. "It makers me--ah, ah, a-choo--sneeze!" He wasn't crazy about pollen at all, but his mother cuddled him and began to tell him just how useful it was. Many of the forest plants and animals needed it to survive. Some would eat it while insects like bees pollinated plants as they moved from plant to plant. Bzzzzzz! Not all of the pollen out there would make Baby Bear sneeze and feel yucky.

Momma Bear told him about how Sandy Spiderling caught pollen in his web to eat it and how Zoe Zebra Butterfly used her long proboscis to get herself a "tasty meal." Baby Bear was very interested in those honeybees and Honey Bee told him all about pollen collection, beebread, and nectar. "Achoo! Achoo!" There were certainly a lot of things to learn about pollen and why the creatures of the fields and forest need it. Did you know that even wolves can use pollen? If not, you'll learn all about it in this book!

This is a fun book that will teach young children about pollen and why we need it. Of course many children who are allergic to some forms of pollen might not find it useful, but they will adore Baby Bear. He sneezes here and there throughout this highly informative book, one that makes it easy for children to understand the pollination process. The artwork is fun, vibrant and the picture book format makes it easy for even the most reluctant reader to learn some very interesting facts. In addition to the four pages of activities, there are free complementary activities on the publisher's website. This is an excellent read and discuss book for students in the homeschool or classroom setting.

Accelerated Reader: 3.3
Flesch-Kincaid: 3.2
Lexile: 670L
Fountas and Pinnell: N

Quill says: This is a fun, fascinating book about the pollination process that's perfect for instructional purposes in the homeschool or classroom setting!