Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A soil-cozied sprouting seed, one among many underground, receives tender support as it matures in a radiant botanically themed work from Agis, making his picture book debut, and Jacoby (Everything Is Fine!). As the seed slowly sprouts toward the waiting sun, a reassuring voice affirms its presence ("Hello, little one. I see you. And I am happy you are here"). Soft-focused watercolor and pastel artwork begins trained on the soil, then splits visually in a series of cutaways that reveal the growing seed below the soil's surface, and the actions above, where a team of young stewards, portrayed with various skin tones, attend it. Concise conversational lines unfurl as gently as the little seed, modeling attunement ("Growing is hard," says the seed. "Is it? Take your time") and the seed's realization of its relationship to water ("Mmmm. More") and the sun ("The sun! The SUN!"). Little by little, the seedling sprouts until it bursts ecstatically into flower and takes its place alongside other flora that have done the same, creating a glowing, blooming meadow--and a joyful crescendo to this comforting and triumphant meditation on the act of becoming. Ages 3--7. (May)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--A pleasant picture book that blends nature, mindfulness, and the quiet wonder of growth. With limited text and unseen narrators, the story shows the life of a seed--from dormancy to emergence and onto flowering--encouraging patience, reflection, and an appreciation for life's natural rhythms. The watercolor images in pastel shades show a variety of seeds and people growing. The visuals are an excellent representation of the vibrancy and energy change. This would be a good read-aloud for social-emotional learning themes like patience as well as an introduction to the needs of plants or the diversity of living things. The text can be confusing: it's sometimes difficult to know who is narrating--the seed or the child--despite clues in the images. VERDICT This would be a good choice for libraries needing SEL books about change and growth, or natural science books about seeds and the needs of plants.--Debbie Tanner
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A lively conversation between an unnamed, unseen narrator and a seed. The two voices are distinguished through the use of upright type for the narrator and italics for the seed. Children with varying skin tones and hairstyles eventually make their appearance as caretakers for their underground charges. The roughness of the paper is revealed through the watercolor and pastel images, lending a soft, fuzzy texture to the illustrations. Many of the garden compositions are split so that a cross-section at the bottom displays a range of seeds, while the young gardeners above wait and water against sun-drenched, soft-hued backgrounds. Listeners will learn that success in a garden involves soil, sun, water, and time. Adults and older kids will understand that the words could apply to seeds or children: "Every seed has a purpose. / And every seed is different." And "growing is hard." Pacing and close-ups are employed effectively. A particularly lovely scene homes in on five distinct, excited faces gazing at the emerging seedling. The tight zoom on the opening flower forces its petals beyond the page. As the exuberant children prance through full-grown blooms, the matured seed has the last word: "Yes, how beautiful we allare." The dialogic text could easily serve as the script for a staged interpretation. A joyous celebration of gardens--and the people who make them possible.(Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
