Seeds

by Carme Lemniscates, Carme Lemniscates (Illustrator)

Overview

Striking illustrations and a simple narrative celebrate the potential of seeds, literal and metaphorical.

Some seeds are whisked away by the wind, while others are carried by creatures to their destinations. Once seeds find their spot, they go through breathtaking transformations, multiplying in number and size and thriving in even the most unseemly places. We humans plant seeds, too, and with care we can cultivate and nurture something wonderful, whether by sowing a seed in the earth or by choosing our own seeds of kindness to spread around. With gorgeous, welcoming illustrations, the creator of Trees and Birds presents another ode to the beauty around and within us.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781536208443
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	03/17/2020
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

Carme Lemniscates is the author-illustrator of Trees, Birds, and Seeds as well as the illustrator of Hilary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton’s Grandma’s Gardens. In addition to children’s books, she also creates storybook apps. Based in Barcelona, she is particularly interested in books that encourage creative thinking and curiosity about subjects such as nature, the environment, friendship, fear, and self-acceptance.

Editorial Reviews

02/03/2020

“Seeds carry the power of life./ So they embark on amazing adventures.” Mimicking its subject, this narrative goes through its own “breathtaking transformation,” from a science-focused discussion of seeds—how they travel, grow, multiply, and find ways to thrive against the odds—into an intriguing philosophical exploration of seeds as a metaphor for human behavior. (“A smile is a powerful seed.// One that can bring joy and friendship.// But there are also seeds that bring anger and misunderstanding.”) Crisp, colorful mixed-media illustrations keep pace with the text, showing moments such as a tiny seed germinating into a resplendent orchid and gardening children resolving their differences. Lemniscates’s canny tale holds an appealing message: “Seeds can only bring what they carry./ Pumpkin seeds bring pumpkins; kindness seeds bring kindness.// You have lots of seeds, and you get to decide.../ which ones to help grow.” Ages 2–5. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Lemniscates considers seeds, both as tiny biological powerhouses and metaphors for human potential.
—Kirkus Reviews

The illustrations showcase the narrative theme in a powerful way and provide a sense of movement. ­Lemniscates’s story highlights the expansive possibilities contained within both literal and figurative seeds. A good purchase for all ­libraries.
—School Library Journal

The text is straightforward and accessible: "Pumpkin seeds bring pumpkins: kindness seeds bring kindness." Never preachy, the overall tone is just right and complements Lemniscates' two previous offerings on birds and trees. This will make a great read-aloud, whether for introducing spring flowers or initiating conversations about friendship.
—Booklist

Crisp, colorful mixed-media illustrations keep pace with the text, showing moments such as a tiny seed germinating into a resplendent orchid and gardening children resolving their differences. Lemniscates’s canny tale holds an appealing message: “Seeds can only bring what they carry./ Pumpkin seeds bring pumpkins; kindness seeds bring kindness.// You have lots of seeds, and you get to decide.../ which ones to help grow.”
—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

01/01/2020

K-Gr 2—Lemniscates's compact picture book is an ode to the undeniable impact of seeds. The text showcases how seeds often travel across many lands before settling into the ground and growing into a plant. Despite their small size, they contain considerable possibilities in terms of quantity and size. Their durability is remarkable, and they can sprout in the most surprising places. They grow only what they are meant to grow ("pumpkin seeds bring pumpkins; kindness seeds bring kindness"). Humans plant all kinds of seeds: seeds of friendship and love or seeds of anger and misunderstanding. The potential in a seed is far greater than a person can see with the naked eye; it requires belief and action to bring it out. They "have whole worlds inside them, just like you." The book contains short, declarative sentences that stress the resilience of seeds and the beauty of their life cycle. The illustrations showcase the narrative theme in a powerful way and provide a sense of movement. VERDICT Lemniscates's story highlights the expansive possibilities contained within both literal and figurative seeds. A good purchase for all libraries.—Heidi Grange, Summit Elementary School, Smithfield, UT

School Library Journal

2019-11-24
Lemniscates considers seeds, both as tiny biological powerhouses and metaphors for human potential.

"Seeds carry the power of life. / So they embark on amazing adventures." Clear, stylized illustrations show seed dispersal, via wind and an ant colony. A double-page spread depicts the stages of a pumpkin seed from germination to blossoming. One vine—from one seed—"brings dozens of pumpkins. // And each pumpkin brings hundreds of seeds!" After examining an orchid's progress from a tiny seed and observing that seeds can sprout in harsh conditions, Lemniscates swerves awkwardly into analogy. "A smile is a powerful seed. / … / But there are also seeds that bring anger and misunderstanding. / When those seeds grow, they pull us apart." Indeed, two children formerly seen to be cooperating now engage in a tug of war over a basket of fruit they've picked. Bright pictures resemble a combination of print and collage, with swaths of textured color and snipped and applied shapes. Diversity is indicated by variations in hairstyle and skin tone. A harmonious conclusion shows a diverse group of friends playing ring-around-the-rosie accompanied by a vague address to readers: "Seeds have whole worlds inside them, / just like you." While coaching from determined adults may enable young children to understand some of the metaphorical material, Lemniscates is on more solid ground with the clear botanical science that she introduces here.

Solid science concepts about seeds muddied by a segue into preschool pop-psych. (Picture book. 3-5)

Kirkus Reviews