If You Plant a Seed by Kadin Nelson (2015) is a beautiful book illustrated with lovely paintings. The cover is a close-up of a rabbit and a mouse that radiates light and color. It appears they’ve collaborated to plant something. They gaze at a young seedling that’s emerging from rich brown soil. We can infer they’re anticipating a delicious meal. The cover hints at the plot with such subtlety as to be invisible until after reading the book.
It takes only a few pages for these friends to joyfully munch on carrots, tomatoes, and cabbage. So what’s left to tell? Now, the real story is revealed. A finch, cardinal, blue jay, crow, and dove notice the garden. They fly down to share the bounty. In response, rabbit and mouse “plant a seed of selfishness” and the food fight that follows creates a chaotic mess. Rabbit and mouse must reconsider their situation. Their new decision to plant a seed of kindness reaps many rewards.
The text is sparse and in a large font. Nelson’s stunning illustrations tell the story. Nelson won a Caldecott Honor and the Coretta Scott King Author and Illustrator Award for this book.
I wrote a blogpost about this book here.
