• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

On the Shelf

Header Right

  • Library Home
  • My Account
  • Contact Us
  • Get a Library Card!

Header Right Social

FacebookInstagramYoutubeMeetupOn the Shelf Blog

Header Right Search

  • Read, Listen, Watch
    • Search the Catalog
    • eBooks and Audiobooks
    • Streaming Movies and Music
    • eMagazines
    • Search MD Libraries
    • Check Out a Hotspot
    • Check Out a Ukulele
    • Suggest a Title for Purchase
    • Recommended Reading
    • On the Shelf
    • Local Newspaper Archive
  • Library Services
    • Get a Library Card
    • Using Your Library Card
    • SMART Card
    • Curbside Pickup
    • Computers and Printing
    • 3D Printing
    • Meeting and Study Rooms
    • Makerspace at Leonardtown Library
    • Donate to the Library
    • Exam Proctoring
    • Notary Service
    • Tell Us Your Library Story
  • Research and Learn
    • All Online Resources
    • Genealogy and Local History
    • Language Learning
    • LinkedIn Learning
    • Cisco Networking Academy
    • Job Seeker’s Toolkit
    • Resources for Grant Seekers
    • Computer and Technology Instruction
    • Homework Help
    • Local Newspaper Archive
  • Events
    • Calendar
    • Kids Events
    • Teen Events
    • Adult Events
    • Book Discussions
    • Computer and Technology Instruction
  • Kids
    • Kids Events
    • Virtual Storytime
    • Homework Help
    • Recommended Reading
    • Tumble Book Library
    • 500 by Five
    • Ready to Read
    • Resources for Parents and Educators
  • Teens
    • Teens at the Library
    • Teen Events
    • Homework Help
    • SMART Card
    • Recommended Reading
    • Resources for Parents and Educators
  • About Us
    • Locations and Hours
    • Library Policies
    • Library Administration
    • Board of Library Trustees
    • Strategic Plan
    • Libraries Stand Against Racism
    • Donate to the Library
    • Jobs at the Library
    • Volunteer at the Library
    • Friends of the St. Mary’s County Library
    • St. Mary’s County Library Foundation
    • Community Partners

If You Plant a Seed

October 20, 2017 by Sara Leave a Comment

Submitted by Ms. Karen!

If You Plant a Seed written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson. I love books about growing things so it is no wonder I love this book, with its simple presentation of how seeds provide us with food. However it is just as much about growing people, and communities, through even the smallest “seeds” of kindness. Mouse and Rabbit dream of a garden and plant a few seeds. When the plants are grown, the birds arrive, super-interested in eating some of their yummy veggies. Rabbit and Mouse refuse, and an argument quickly ensues, which devolves into an all-out fight, destroying the little garden in the process. Sadness, despair, and resentment all abound, until little Mouse decides to offer the last unbroken tomato to… their enemies, the birds! You’ll love how this one small act of kindness, recognized and returned, changes everything and gives Rabbit and Mouse a garden beyond their wildest dreams with lots of new friends thrown into the bargain. There are very few words here; the ground-eye view paintings of the animals and birds carry most of the story. The close-ups of plants and animals are astonishing! We can see the wonder on an animal’s face as it gazes at a new seedling, and feel the anger and tension that erupt into violence when the creatures “plant seeds of selfishness” and refuse to share. By turns sweetly funny, sad, and heartwarming, If You Plant a Seed gently encourages readers of all ages to use their power for kindness and compassion with its non-preachy, beautifully told story. This author also wrote Baby Bear and We Are the Ship. See this book listed in our catalog

Filed Under: Recommended for Kids Tagged With: Emotions, Go Green, Picture Book

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

On the Shelf Home

 

Welcome to On the Shelf! Find reviews and recommendations for books, movies, music, library resources, and more. All posts from the Kid’s Book Blog have been brought over to On the Shelf, so your old favorites are still here!

Subscribe so you don’t miss a post!

Recent Posts

  • Chunky
  • Light of the Jedi
  • The Guest List
  • The Passover Guest
  • The Silent Patient

Categories

Tags

Adventure African American Animals Audiobook Award Winner Bears Bedtime Being Different Birds Book Cats Classic Clothes Colors Counting Dogs Emotions Family Fantasy Fiction Food Foreign Culture Friendship Go Green History Holidays Humour Interactive Jobs Libraries or Books Mice Monsters Music Mystery Nonfiction On the Farm Picture Book Rhyming Romance School Seasons Things That Go Tough Stuff True Stories Weather

Archives

St. Mary's County Library

Monday – Thursday: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Friday – Saturday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday: 1 – 5 p.m. (Lexington Park Library only)

 

Friends of the St. Mary’s County Library

St. Mary’s County Library Foundation

Locations

Charlotte Hall Library
37600 New Market Rd., Charlotte Hall, MD
301-884-2211

Leonardtown Library
23630 Hayden Farm Ln., Leonardtown, MD
301-475-2846

Lexington Park Library
21677 FDR Blvd., Lexington Park, MD
301-863-8188

Quick Links

  • My Account
  • Search the Catalog
  • eBooks and Audiobooks
  • Streaming Movies and Music
  • Search MD Libraries
  • Online Resources
  • Events
  • Meeting Rooms
  • Mobile Print Service
Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Accessibility
FacebookInstagramYoutubeMeetupOn the Shelf Blog