Tree by Patricia Hegarty

Key stage 1, Science

This beautiful rhyming book follows the lifecycle of an apple tree through each of the four seasons. It is the perfect way of introducing deciduous and evergreen trees, and teaching children the structure of trees, while making links to learning about seasonal change.

The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle

Lower key stage 2, Science

This story follows a seed on its journey to becoming a plant. It provides the perfect structure for a unit on germination, requirements for plant growth, and the role of flowers in the lifecycle of flowering plants.

The Night Flower by Lara Hawthorne

Upper key stage 2, Science

The fascinating lifecycle of the saguaro cactus is the subject of this engaging picture book, which is a lovely way of securing children’s knowledge of flowering plants’ lifecycles through an unusual example. It also provides a useful introduction to the concept of adaptation, and would be suitable to link with a geography topic on either North America or desert biomes.