Book Review: Plant Pets: 27 Cool Houseplants to Grow and Love by Beatrice Boggs Allen & Belle Boggs

Rating: 4 Stars

As a self-proclaimed plant lover, I recently had the pleasure of reviewing "Plant Pets: 27 Cool Houseplants to Grow and Love by Beatrice Boggs Allen and her mom, Belle Boggs". Right from the start, I was charmed by the idea that while not every kid can have a furry pet at home, everyone can definitely have a "plant pet." Eight-year-old Bea’s enthusiasm for houseplants is infectious, and her voice shines through every page of this delightful guide.

The book introduces readers to 27 of the easiest and most enchanting houseplants that kids aged 7 and up can grow right indoors. Bea covers a range of plants—from air plants to succulents, terrariums, and even those quirky carnivorous varieties that munch on insects! The layout is vibrant, with plenty of colorful photos and playful illustrations that perfectly reflect Bea's cheeky personality. It feels like you’re having a conversation with a friend who just happens to know a ton about plants!

What I really appreciated about Plant Pets was its accessibility. It’s not just for kids; I found it informative for adults too! The handy tips and fun facts about plant care and their histories made me feel like I was learning something new at every turn. Whether you’re a seasoned botanist or someone just starting out, this book serves as an excellent resource. The eco-tips and thoughtful gift ideas sprinkled throughout are a fantastic bonus, making it the perfect present for anyone looking to nurture their green thumb.

In summary, if you’re looking for a fun, educational, and visually appealing book that encourages kids to connect with nature through plants, look no further than Plant Pets. It’s not just a guide; it's an invitation to cultivate a love for plant care, one "pet" at a time! I can easily see this becoming a beloved staple in any budding botanist's library.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

Thank you to the authors, Storey Publishing and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book, written by a mother and her daughter (love that!) is a fantastic resource for both children and adults - those who love plants, and those who have a brown thumb, but would like to have plants. There are lots of pictures, drawings and tips, including suggestions of plants rated as to their ease/difficulty for beginning gardeners, but also scientific facts about plants and things to consider when giving them a home, e.g. the differences in potting soil, light tolerance and more. Highly recommend!

This is a fantastic book not only for young children but plant loving adults as well! It's full of vibrant illustrations and important tips, facts, and information about a variety of house plants. Each plant contains info about how challenging it is to grow, likes/dislikes such as light and water amounts. This was a delight to read and gave me a long wishlist for new plants I want to add to my home!

Such a cute introduction to plants for beginners! Full of helpful and interesting information and beautiful pictures, this book makes plant care super easy and accessible to everyone!

This is such a fantastic resource guide for older children. I love that it was written by a mother and her daughter. I think this makes the book more engaging for children and inspires them.

This book is a guide for growing a range of plants, but it is so much more. The authors give a brief history of growing houseplants and share potential careers in plants. They include a lot of interesting scientific facts about different plants, using complex vocabulary in a child appropriate manner (for example, epiphyte). The book has clear and engaging photos and drawings. A perfect book for young plant lovers!

Plant Pets is a nice guide book with useful, practical and insightful information, tips and photos.
The art style of the illustrations is engaging and the photographs are inclusive.
The book is great for all levels of experience of plant enthusiasts.

I really like the doodles that brighten up the pages, as well as the illustrations. i love how colourful this book is. this book is educational and perfect for children who want to learn more about growing your own plants. On most of the pages, there is facts about the plant, such as where it comes from, how much water is likes, what it likes and dislikes, and how hard it is to care for. It also gives some historical facts about the plants, and what they can be used for.

I really liked this book, I would recommend it to plant loving children.

Thank you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
—
This book is so cool! A mother (Belle) and daughter (Bea) wrote a book to introduce kids to plants as pets. It’s filled with easy to follow and practical advice and is not only perfect for teaching kids about responsibility, but for helping kids get started with gardening/having plants.

The book starts off by sharing what you’ll need to get started (where to find plants and supplies) as well as how to perform a light test so you’ll know the best place for your plant pets. It later provides readers with information on nearly 30 plants (including difficulty rating, what they like/dislike, and who the plant is best suited for.

Bea includes fun experiments and activities, as well as encourages other kids to make taking plants a part of their daily routine.

Even though I am an adult, I requested a copy of Plant Pets to read from a kid's perspective. I would love to get my kids interested in gardening and plants. I was not disappointed! This is a beautiful, colorful, easy-to-understand guide to getting started with plants. It covers all the basics; proper lighting, pet safe plants, care and fertilizing. There are pages on common houseplants like pothos and aloe, but also others like venus fly-trap.

If you have a child already interested in plants, or hope to spark a green thumb, then this book is for you!
PS I got my four-year-old growing strawberries. He's so excited!

Written by a young daughter and mother team, the concept of considering your plants as pets and talking proper care of them is brilliant. It’s full of easily assimilated and very practical advice. I like how Bea suggests keeping them in the bedroom and her getting up habit of inspecting and attending to them for a few minutes before she starts her day.

I also like the range of plants and snippets about the properties of some – aloe for burns, herbs to add to cooking and salads. The facts about all aspects of plant care and propagation as well as aesthetics such as decorating containers is extensive and impressive.

To get children connecting with nature regardless of how much green space they have around them, this is the perfect book to get them started. It can work for a huge range of ages as children as young as 3 years can learn to care for a pet plant (this is a common Montessori practical life task) and add to their collection as they grow. At the same time, it’s a fantastic resource for the 7-11 age group where children want to work with real (not pretend) things and to have something tangible to show for their efforts.
We will definitely be getting this in.

Written by a child (Bea) and her mum (Belle) this great non fiction teaches how to grow, care for and use houseplants. Having acquired a love of succulents at the start of covid, they are enthusiasts and they aim to make their enthusiasm for plants contagious. With fun activities and experiments, this little guide is a great guide to caring for plant pets!

Even though I'm an adult, I loved this book! Very accessible with SO MANY ideas and quality information. I'm excited to share this book with my students, my staff, and my family! We are all going to be pet plant parents....and we can each pick the right plant(s) by using the information provided in this book. This is definitely a winner and will be finding it's way into my shopping cart when it releases. A FUN, useful nonfiction book! THANK YOU!

What a fun intro to houseplants! Written for an upper elementary level but with great information for anyone, adults included, who wants to get started keeping “Plant Pets”. The author, a young plant lover, starts with chapters on where to get plants, what supplies you will need, and the best places to keep your plants. (I especially liked the instructions for completing a light test).

The second section includes details about 27 different plants, with a difficulty rating, best growing environment, and specific care for each one. The final section covers potting soil, fertilization, and having fun with decorating or gifting your plants. Illustrated with photos and drawings, this cute book will help everyone develop their “green thumb” and have fun doing it!

Thank you NetGalley and Storey Publishing for the advance copy of this book.

A fun, informative book about plants written by a mother-daughter team. I especially liked the part about keeping plants alive.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC.

An absolute joy to read! This book is written in a playful, inviting, and accessible voice, filled with delightful and colourful illustration that help you digest the information. The information is easily organized and so enjoyable to learn! I have some experience with houseplants and indoor herbs, but still learned useful information that makes me excited and more confident in incorporating houseplants in youth programming.

WHAT A COOL IDEA! Mother and daughter authors, a child's perspective! I know this says 8+ but my 4 year old LOVED this book!!!! We are planning a date for him to go pick out his new plant pet, that he can learn responsibility to take care of, have in his room as his own, and watch it grow! I loved everything about this book, the message, the purpose, and most of all a little girl following her dreams and becoming a young author! I can't wait to see what else she accomplishes in her life. I talked to my son about how a girl a friend of his age wrote this book with her mother, and we spoke about dreams and goals, and he was so proud of her! This book is a full circle moment, and we will be continually referencing and purchasing a hard copy when available! Thank you Netgalley and to Beatrice, thank you for you following your dream and sharing your creative mind with us all! Belle, motherhood.... you're doing a great job, thank you for raising a young lady who has so much to offer the world.

Wow, I love this book! I am not great at looking after plants so this is a really great book for me. I love the conversational nature of the writing and the illustrations that’s company the photos. It is informative and easy to follow. My children have also really got a lot out of this book.

A lovely guide to choosing and growing pets for kids. I love the concept of a plant "pet." My husband is allergic to all animals with hair. A book like this might help get buy-in from my kids to try plants instead of fish.

There is a lot of text, so this might be best for older elementary kids. But there are great crafts and ideas for younger ones. The pages are colorful and there are lots of images.

Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC. I will purchase for my library.

Eight-year-old Beatrice Boggs Allen, in collaboration with her mom Belle Boggs, introduces a guide featuring the 27 easiest and most captivating houseplants, suitable for any child to nurture indoors. While not every child may have a furry companion, Bea's message emphasizes that everyone can find a companion in a plant!

This delightful and informative book caters to children while also proving valuable for adults. Focused on houseplants, it shares insights into caring for a variety of indoor greenery, provides plant background information, and includes craft and activity ideas. The well-organized format and thorough information are notable.

Gratitude to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for graciously providing this advanced copy.

This is a wonderful and informative books about plants for children! It is colorful and visually pleasing. It has a lot of great advice on how to take care of different plants, which plants to choose and where to place them, and even some ideas of plants to give as gifts to different family members and friends. This book would make a great gift for kids who are interested in taking care of plants, and it would be useful to a child writing a paper on plants and plant care. Even an adult may prefer this entertaining and easy to understand book on plants to one geared toward adults that may be drier and less fun to read.