Did you know that the lowly lettuce was the first vegetable to be grown in space? And have you ever, as a child, grown your own pineapple from the green top of a ripe pineapple? Or would you believe that the first cultivated carrots were purple and yellow?

Every page in this big book is full of fascinating information. My favourite is the page on Bamboo. This is obviously one of the most useful plants in the world as it can be used to make food, fuel, paper, clothes, tools and even houses! And, of course, how would the giant pandas cope without it? They each consume 12-38 kilograms of bamboo every day!

There are 15 different plants and fungi in this book, each beautifully presented over two double pages. Even the lowly tomato is there with its vibrant colours. And we learn that tomatoes are very clever, as, with a little help from bees, each tomato plant can self-pollinate.

On the second page of each plant section we meet the families. I was amazed that watermelons and cucumbers are from the same family as pumpkins.

Grow! is a different book for young readers and older ones who have an interest in plants and love sucking up lots of way-out information. My favourite bit is on the Daffodil page where we are reminded that …

‘In Greek mythology, Narcissus, the Latin name for daffodil, was a handsome hunter who fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water and never left. The flower (the daffodil) grew where he died.’ Just magic.

Reviewed by Merle Morcom
Age Guide 8+