Review - And Then the Seed Grew

And Then the Seed Grew
by Marianne Dubuc
Date: 2019
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

In an ordinary garden full of flowers and plants, little Jack and Mr. Gnome live above the ground, while Yvonne the mole, the Field Mouse family, Paulie the earthworm and Colette the ant live below the ground. Everybody is happy in the garden. Until one day, a new seed arrives, which soon sprouts into a plant. As the plant begins to grow (and grow, and grow), its stalk and leaves get in the way of those aboveground, and its roots disrupt the homes and passageways of those underground. Before long, the plant has gotten so large, it has become a huge problem for the garden's residents. So, the friends decided they must chop it down. Unless ... wait! What's that growing on the plant?

In this multilayered (and multilevel!) picture book, international award-winning author-illustrator Marianne Dubuc humorously explores the concept of change as the characters resist but eventually accept the new addition, an excellent example of a growth mindset. The story also highlights the interconnectivity of living things and, thus, the concept of community. Animal habitats and the growth cycle of plants - from seed to fruit-bearing - are presented here with easy-to-understand, child-friendly visuals. The winsome illustrations are full of clever details, offering peeks into the animals' fantastical homes, promising something new to discover with every look, and encouraging visual literacy.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I was first exposed to this author/illustrator's work through the charming Otto and Pio. In fact, the two stories are somewhat similar, with something strange that comes into the lives of the characters to change their world. In And Then the Seed Grew, we have a story about a seed that grows and disrupts the lives and homes of the creatures that live above and below the ground.

One day, a seed falls from the sky. Nobody thinks much of it... until it starts to grow. Soon, the roots are interfering with the ants' and worm's tunnels, causing cracks in the mole's bathroom ceiling, and encroaching on the mice's home. The leaves get so big that they block Mr. Gnome's door, preventing him from even getting out of his house! The creatures all come together to devise a plan, and they agree to destroy the plant. But then Jack points out all the wonderful things the plant has to offer, so they leave the plant alone.

There's one major flaw in this: it seems to encourage just giving up when faced with a potential threat. This could've been corrected with a couple of sentences explaining that the plant (it was a tomato), would die off at the end of the season, and things could return to normal. In fact, the plant is missing on the final spread, which takes place the following spring. But how many children know that tomato plants can't survive the winter? I wish this had been addressed. If the plant had been some sort of invasive species, the creatures would have been logical to want it gone before it did any more damage to their homes and lives.

The pictures are cute and appealing, and there's plenty to look at in each illustration (especially under the ground). I don't really have any complaints with the aesthetic.

Overall, I think I enjoyed this about as much as I enjoyed Otto and Pio. With an extra sentence or two to explain that the tomato invasion was temporary (and therefore reasonable to put up with, given the benefits), I think And Then the Seed Grew could've been even better.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for providing a digital ARC.

Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.33 out of 5