Three lost seeds Stories of becoming

A STEM story of nature's resilience.Rhyming text follows, in turn, three seeds that each overcome natural barriers and disasters to eventually thrive and grow into the "plant it was planning to be." A bird takes a cherry, then drops it into a stream, but the little pit ends up taking root in muddy soil by the stream, and it grows into a tree. Wong adds visual interest to her scientifically accurate illustrations of flora by depicting, here, a Muslim family unmentioned by text with two children and a mother wearing hijab, first picnicking by the stream and then later (the children now bigger) picking cherries from the tree. In the next part of the book, a forest fire brings destruction, but it also unearths an acacia seed brought deep underground by ants. This little seed then grows as part of reforestation. The third seed drifts in a pod until an earthquake drains the lake in which it floated. Wong's art shows a child who appears Asian gazing at it upon cracked, barren ground. A page turn delivers a dramatic fast-forward: "When rain filled the crater / ONE HUNDRED YEARS later, / the lotus seed drank up and GREW!" Strong backmatter provides more information about seeds and seed banks, bolstering an already excellent offering.Seed shelves with this title to grow STEM readers. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

So, when you're outsideon a walk or bike rideand a new seedling catches your sight,stop. Share a sip.Ask, "How was your trip?"Say, "Glad that you made it all right!" Excerpted from Three Lost Seeds: Stories of Becoming by Stephie Morton All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.