Seeds

“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. [em](Mar.) [/em]