Age range 6 to 9
A comprehensive guidebook for kids on proper houseplant care, featuring bold illustrations and engaging infographics.
Houseplants can add a touch of green to any living space, and caring for them can be a relaxing and rewarding hobby. For kids interested in learning more about plant care, this comprehensive guidebook covers all the basics and more, teaching kids all about the different types of houseplants, their growth habits, and the best practices to care for them. Divided into three sections, How Not to Kill Your Plant provides all the information kids need to ensure their houseplants thrive:
- The Basics of Care: Learn about the essential elements of plant care, including watering, lighting, and soil.
- Encyclopedia of houseplants: Identify and learn about common houseplants, including their ideal growing conditions and common issues to look out for.
- Cultivation practice: Discover tips and tricks for repotting, propagation, and other plant care techniques.
Highlights include:
- A glossary of basic plant terminology (e.g., substrate, fertiliser, humidity, etc.)
- Step-by-step instructions for taking care of houseplants
- Advice on choosing the right plant
- Various problems you can expect to encounter and ways to solve them
Filled with clear and concise advice, this book is much more than just a practical guide. It features fresh, modern illustrations that bring the information to life, as well as engaging infographics that make the information easy to understand and remember.
How Not to Kill Your Plant is suitable for children aged 69 interested in growing houseplants. Geared toward kids who love plants and want to develop a lifelong hobby of plant care, this guidebook is ideal for any young ones looking to green up their home, as well as adult readers and flower shop patrons.
Table of Contents:
1. BASICS OF CARE
Getting to know: houseplants
Glossary
Houseplants up close
My room with and without houseplants
What you will need
Soil and pots
Water and watering
Light and heat
Choosing the right houseplant for you
2. ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HOUSE PLANTS
Peace lily
Fiddle-leaf fig
Monstera
String of hearts
Burgundy shamrock
Chinese money plant
Jade
Cactus
Aloe vera
Umbrella plant
Moss ball
Palm
Polka dot begonia
Prayer plant
ZZ plant
Snake plant
3. CULTIVATION PRACTICE
Buying your houseplant
Your houseplant throughout the year
Transplanting
Trimming
Propagation
Expectation vs. reality
Problems
Pests
You’re a proper carer at last!
About the Author :
Magda Gargulakova has a degree in Art History and is a co-founder and also curator of the OFF/FORMAT gallery in Brno, Czech Republic, which exhibits and promotes contemporary progressive art, mostly by young artists. She worked for a time in marketing, but her love affair with books has been a long one. For OFF/FORMAT, she has edited and published several art publications. Since 2019, she has added to this experience as an editor of literature for very young readers at Albatros Media, using her two daughters for quality control.
Lenka Chytilova was drawn to books and writing from a young age. It was no surprise, then, when she got a degree in Czech Language and Literature and German Translation. She has always tried to connect books and reading, her greatest hobby, with her work; she worked part-time in a bookshop for many years and she also worked as an editor and proofreader. Lenka likes classic Czech fairytales, and she loves Veernek, the Czech television program for children's bedtime stories. She grew up in a village in East Moravia.
Hannah Abbo is a self-taught illustrator originally from Brighton, UK. When she's not drawing, she loves making ceramics, visiting botanical gardens, and growing vegetables. She currently lives and works in Lisbon, Portugal, with her partner and child, their (slightly) overweight cat, and 15 houseplants.
Review :
Selected for the CBC Winter 2024 Showcase: Boredom Busters
Selected for the CBC’s 2023 December Hot Off The Press Reading List
"Still, this nonfiction title for kids should provide you with all the information that can help you out. And it really does. It lays down all the requirements, all the equipment, all the know-how." —Betsy Bird, School Library Journal
"How Not to Kill Your Plant is a wonderful resource for children interested in houseplants or gardening, even adults with less than a green thumb! The author included so much detail! From decisions needing to be made about what daylight and care we can provide the plants, how to chose the right plants for us, house plants throughout the seasons, and much, much more! The illustrations are delightful. They are brightly colored and detail the plants wonderfully." —Cherokee Crum, YA Books Central
"Do you like plants? Do you have trouble keeping them alive? This book is perfect to learn all about finicky house plants and how to best care for them to keep them alive." —Liam (age 12), Kids' Book Buzz
"Delightful advice for any age! Layout, info, and attractive graphics will appeal to visual learners on how not to kill your plant!" —Andrienne C., Azusa City Library
"How Not to Kill Your Plant is a fantastic houseplant care book for beginners because of its effective visual design and comprehensive information that will appeal to kids, teens, and adults." —Laila Carter, Cheltenham Township Library System
"With beautiful modern illustrations and a simplistic approach to basic plant procurement and care, this is the perfect comprehensive guidebook to anyone looking to care for plants." —The Novel Neighbor, Bookseller
"This was a delightful read about caring for and celebrating houseplants. Although it is categorized as a children's book, I can see myself gifting this book to an adult (along with a new plant that is featured in the book). I thought this book had great information, and the illustrations were so charming." —Margaret M., NetGalley-Reviewer
"This was a cute nonfiction guide to growing and keeping plants. I liked the illustrations. This would be a great resource for kids interested in keeping plants." —Melanie G., NetGalley-Librarian
