After helping her grandfather plant squash, onions, carrots, cabbage, and other vegetables that her mother uses in soups and salsas, seven-year-old Marisol plants sunflower seeds in her neighbors' yards, and weeks later, everyone gets to enjoy the fruits of Marisol's labor.
''My name is Marisol. I'm seven years old. This spring, I helped my grandfather make a garden.''
First, Marisol and her grandfather had to prepare the ground. They pulled out the old plants and weeds. They mixed up all the dirt ''to make it soft.''
Then it was time to plant the seeds. They planted seeds to grow the vegetables Mama uses in soup squash, onions, carrots, and cabbage. They planted seeds to grow the things she needs to make salsa garlic, tomatoes, cilantro, and chili peppers. They planted mint for Abuela's tea. They planted watermelon seeds for Marisol and her brother. And for Grandad, they planted sunflower seeds because their ''big black eyes with long yellow eyelashes'' make him happy. And he likes to eat the seeds!
One day, Marisol's grandfather gives her a small bag of sunflower seeds, but instead of eating them she... |