Introduction and Summary:
Growing Like Me, written by Anne Rockwell and illustrated by Holly Keller, is a great resource to use when exploring life processes at the most basic level. The book begins by explaining, “Here in the meadow, by the woods and the pond, everything is growing, just like me,” (pages 3-5). Growing Like Me, goes on to show students how living things change as they grow. Examples include; white blossoms transforming into berries, a blue egg hatching and becoming a robin, and a pollywoogs wiggling in the water turning into big, green frogs. The book concludes, by the author explaining that humans too change as they grow. “Little baby brother, what in the world will you grow up to be? You’ll see! One day you’ll be a big boy-just like me,” (pages 19-21).
Curriculum Connections:
Growing Like Me is appropriate for use in the kindergarten curriculum. It can be used in several ways. First, it can be used as students begin their investigation of basic needs and life processes of plants and animals. Growing Like Me is a great source to use when teaching students about how living things change they grow (VA SOL K.6 a). The book provides several examples of plants and animals changing as they mature including showing how eggs hatch and acorns transform into oak trees. Additionally, this book can be employed when students learn about offspring. This book does a great job through its text and pictures illustrating that the offspring of plants and animals are similar, but not identical to their parents and to one another (VA SOL K.6 c). One example in the book shows how baby ducklings, look similar, but not identical to grown ducks.
Additional Resources:
-This animal parent matching game is a great and interactive way for teachers to illustrate how animals change as they grow.
–The Growing Storyby Ruth Krauss is another great book teachers may want to share with their classes.
-This worksheet can be used to reinforce that living things change as they grow.
General Information:
Book: Growing Like Me
Author: Anne Rockwell
Illustrator: Holly Keller
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc.
Publication Date: 2001
Pages: 21
Grade Range:K-1
ISBN: 0-15-202202-3