cover image Beansprout

Beansprout

Sarah Lynne Reul. Charlesbridge, $17.99 (48p) ISBN 978-1-62354-475-1

Narrated by a grade school student, this story by Reul starts at the moment a teacher pours out a bag of 100 mixed seeds—“teeny-tiny dots, long thin sticks,” and many more. Before planting, the children draw their seeds and come up with a hypothesis about what each will yield. Covering many sheets of paper, the narrator hypothesizes that their seed will grow luxuriously. But while the other pupils’ seeds grow, the narrator’s bean doesn’t sprout, though they believe “I DID EVERYTHING JUST RIGHT!” Then they notice the rest of the unplanted seeds and pivot to a group project. Cut-out paper figures, portrayed with various abilities and skin tones, are placed against brightly colored backgrounds that give the pages a handmade, childlike feel in a story whose narrative pivot leaves room for readers to make hypotheses of their own. Ages 4–7. (Mar.)