Presents a variety of facts about apples, including how they grow, crossbreeding and grafting techniques, harvesting practices, and the uses, varieties, and history of this popular fruit - (Baker & Taylor)
Kirkus Reviews
New books on apples are published regularly, but this one is outstanding. Concisely, yet with contagious enthusiasm, Micucci (who, as part of his research, planted exactly 23 apple seeds in his N.Y.C. apartment, of which ``two were successfully moved to Central Park'') describes the apple's cycle and its culture in detail and gives a delicious taste of other subjects: the apple's uses, place in world economy (the ``U.S.S.R.'' grows the most), varieties, history, lore. Micucci's lucid text flows logically from one topic to another. His pencil and watercolor illustrations are lively and attractive, while even such minutiae as the joint between twig and emerging bud are precisely observed; a page illustrating grafting is clear enough to use as a manual. An excellent survey that also sparks interest in other areas of knowledge. Though appropriate for the audience suggested by the picture-book format, the information is substantial enough to be also useful for older children. (Nonfiction. 5-9) # Copyright 1999 Kirkus Reviews
School Library Journal Reviews
Gr 2-5-- Bound to be useful for projects, this attractive picture book for older readers contains a lot of loosely related facts and is generously illustrated. Micucci covers apple tree growth from seed to harvest and the uses and varieties of the popular fruit. Each topic (seeds, grafting, etc.) is given a two-page spread. Small, clear paintings are paired with each easy-to-understand short paragraph or even illustrate just one sentence. A rich harvest for students doing reports, or for browsers. --Sharon Levin, University of Vermont, Burlington Copyright 1992 Cahners Business Information.