Surprise in the Meadow

Toddler-PreS—Vojtech's new picture book is about the life cycle of a sunflower. The story begins in the spring when a chipmunk goes searching for the seeds he buried in the fall. But instead of finding the seeds, he discovers a mysterious plant growing in its place. As spring turns into summer, the plant grows taller. It attracts the attention of all of the animals living in the meadow. Its size is compared to other plants that grow in the area, such as the black-eyed Susan and the Queen Anne's lace. When the bees come to pollinate the flower head, the chipmunk exclaims, "Sunflower!" With the coming of fall, the flower begins to dry out and droop. In the background, geese are flying south for the winter and hungry animals, like the chipmunk, are eating the seeds that have fallen on the ground. The life cycle of a sunflower is described in more detail on the last page of the book.