The Day the Plants Fought Back

Corn have ears and potatoes have eyes! Watch out when you're out in the garden!

Wayne and Patrick are fun-loving and adventurous boys who push the boundaries constantly. Their mum struggles with their exuberance and lack of respect, sending them outside to play. And it is in the garden, after a raft of bad behaviours, that these two get their comeuppance from the fruit and vegetables.

Belinda O'Keefe's narrative is in rhyme and races along with energy. She includes a wealth of great verbs to bring her story to life and the illustrations by Richard Hoit complement her writing so well. On every page, the expressive eyes capture your attention.

There is of course a moral in the story - there are ears and eyes everywhere, so don't try to get away with things you know are wrong. Have respect for everyone and everything!

The Day The Plants Fought Back is a story that will be read and reread, giving much pleasure to children aged 4-7.

Title: The Day the Plants Fought Back

Author: Belinda O'Keefe

Illustrator: Richard Hoit

Publisher: Scholastic

ISBN: 978 1 77543 568 6

RRP: $19

Format: paperback

Date of Publication: June 2019

Ages: 4-7 years

Reviewer’s name, job title, school name & region: Ali Kersten, Teacher Librarian, Hereworth School, Hawkes Bay

How highly are you recommending this book? Recommended

What’s the book’s opening sentence? Two boisterous boys who made lots of noise, found it dreadfully hard to be good; always charging and barging, fighting and biting, and not acting quite as they should.