Review by Booklist Review
Ellie, a kindergartner, tells her father that she's disappointed to be no taller than she was before her recent birthday. He explains that, like avocado seeds, children are "small but full of magic." After suspending an avocado seed halfway in water, they place it near a sunlit window. One day, impatient with the seed's imperceptible growth, Ellie kicks the plant stand and sends the seed flying. Her father puts it back and suggests cheering it up a bit. Ellie starts tending and entertaining the seed daily. Magically, the seed responds by sending roots downward and leaves upward. Eventually, they transplant it into a larger pot. Meanwhile, Ellie grows up and, near the story's end, tells her young son about avocado magic. First published in Switzerland, this colorfully illustrated picture book is equally expressive in portraying Ellie's high hopes and her deep disappointment. Kids can observe her growth and changes in her life in the colorful illustrations. This upbeat picture book concludes the back matter with practical instructions and advice for sprouting an avocado seed.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3--The morning after her birthday, Ellie is dismayed that she hasn't grown overnight. Her father offers her an avocado seed and the promise of magic to come with time, patience, and sunlight. Illustrations, with hues alternating between earthy and a green/yellow palette, underscore themes of growth and change and are replete with whimsical details to delight eagle-eyed readers! Ellie waits as her seed--and she--eventually grow. Her avocado tree, over time becoming fully grown, accompanies Ellie's own transformation from child to woman to mother and brings the narrative to a gratifying close. The impatience of children, a well-documented feature of the demographic, gets a measured treatment here. There are layers of lessons about the passage of time to be found in text and illustration, as both the pages and Ellie's life fly by. VERDICT A poignant and lovely volume, this one is recommended for all collections.--Rebecca Kirshenbaum
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A little girl can't wait to get bigger. After celebrating her birthday, Ellie is disappointed to realize she's still the same size. Ellie's father shows her an avocado seed and tells her that she's like the little seed: "small but full of magic." While she may not always notice, she's constantly growing and changing. They place the seed in a jar of water, and though Ellie's impatient for it to become a tree, she learns to take care of it. Gradually, the leaves stretch and reach, and Ellie and her father move the plant to a bigger pot, just as Ellie moves to a bigger room. Both Ellie and the avocado blossom, take root, and start the circle of life anew; Ellie matures, leaves home, and finds a partner. The story will be meaningful for adults and children alike, a lesson on both the day-to-day steadiness of growth and the overwhelming speed with which life moves forward. Serving as a touchpoint for Ellie and readers, a rhyming refrain emphasizes that change takes time. The soft illustrations convey a sense of growth through luscious greens and other bright hues. The careful blending of colors makes the images feel warm and alive. Ellie and her immediate family members are brown-skinned and dark-haired, while her partner is light-skinned and red-haired. Backmatter explains how to sprout an avocado at home. A tender and cozy tribute to the magic of growing up. (Picture book. 4-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
