A Place To Grow

by Soyung Pak, Marcelino Truong (Illustrator)

A moving tribute to immigration and the love of a family.

A family is like a seed. It needs to have a place to set down roots. But sometimes the land where it rests is hard and cold, without welcome or nourishment. Then the family must fly to a new place, where it can finally blossom.
As a father and daughter work together in their garden, he explains what a seed needs to flourish and the reasons their family immigrated to a new country--looking for hope, like sunlight, and peace, like good earth. Looking for a place to grow.

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Childrens, Gardening, Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2002

Reviews

[Julianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Place To Grow by Soyung Pak is the story of one immigrant family’s journey from South Korea to the United States. The story uses an analogy of the growth of a flower garden to symbolize the growth of their family. The father goes on to tell his daughter that their family got picked up by the wind like a seed to their new country because they will grow better in their new environment with new sun, rain, and soil. The story ends with the father telling his daughter what his father told him: that no matter how far away the winds move them, there will always be a garden each his heart for her.

The major themes of A Place To Grow is immigration and importance of family. The father sacrifices a lot leaving his home country to immigrate to the United States because he knows what is best for his family to thrive.

I think this book so eloquently explains to children why someone might immigrate to another country. The book’s illustrations are beautiful, full of color, and really bring the garden imagery to life. The father’s ending message of there always being a garden in his heart for his daughter is precious is one all readers will find relatable, even if they are not from immigrant families.

I would recommend this book to higher elementary and lower middle school grades (3-5). It is a great message of love and family sacrifice. It could open up a window for native-born students to see immigration, and it gives a mirror for immigrant children to see themselves in.

[Gracie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is a fiction book that can really challenge a reader to think deeper about the meaning of the words. It might be too challenging for younger readers, so I would use this in an fourth and fifth grade classroom. I would use this to teach a lesson on the importance of family most likely.

[Maria Ambrosini · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has the most beautiful meaning. A father uses the comparison that a family is like a seed. He uses the seed because a seed needs a safe, nourishing place in order to grow. In order for the seed to find its place, he makes it fly around with the wind, get washed up with the rain guiding it to its final destination in order to be planted. The father and daughter are planting their own garden during all of this and he uses the seed to explain to her as to why they moved to a new country. This story was such a great book with a great message that all students should read. It's age appropriate to elementary school. It includes realistic characters with a real life scenario.

[Rani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like a #seed we all find perfect #place to #grow. #Immigrant tale #Asian #YoungReaders #PictureBook #BookReview #ChildrensBooks #amreading

[Carly Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the coloring and I think the concept is so cool and a good book overall.

[Mosammat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A place to grow is about a family that no matter where they go they always find a place to connect. It's about seeing a family like plants. You grow plants, and it starts as a seed. Seeds need a place to settle their roots. The family moves to a new home were the little girl did not connect. She saw it as hard and cold; she relates her situation to plants. One day as the little girl and father were planting in there new home the father explains the things seeds need to grow. Just like the same reason their family immigrated to the new country. They want a peaceful and hopeful place to grow.
A Place To Grow is an excellent book about family and moving. The genre of this book is realistic fiction because it is a made up story. The story could be used as a teachable moment with students by having a read aloud for students in the 2nd grade and older. Students will enjoy the carefree spirit of the little girl. Students could plant seeds to understand what the father meant by seeds needs things to grow. It's a great story to read when teaching a unit about soil and plants with students. Even students who are not sure were their families are from can enjoy this book because they will understand the feeling of moving to a new place and calling it home. The author herself is Korean, but the book didn't state if the characters are Korean, even though the origin is not said the characters reflected well in the story.
What I liked about the book is the father-daughter moment the character had with her father. It touches home and makes me as an adult wish I had a father like the little girls. I love how the little girl's father uses seeds to talk about how moving is similar to seeds growing. The perspective the story was told by the little girl. The story is missing a name for the little girl and where the little girl is from. The story could be changed to make the message clearer by giving the little girl and name and why her family moved to a new country. The biases and assumptions that are represented were the little girls isn't going to like the new country she is moving too, and the plants will not be the same. The story was a bit cliched other than the plants being used as a teachable moment. It would have helped to bond with the character if the little girl had a name.

[Kayla Pollema · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growth happens in people and in plants in this book. As the pages turn we find different things that are necessary for both types of growth.
Everything about these pictures is on a large scale. The paint that the artist uses is as a thick texture in it that makes each stroke large and prominent. There are details in each painting but the style of the painting reminds me of a Renaissance oil paintings. The pictures themselves are also large and almost hide the text within the pictures. The text is built into the pictures and on each page has its place. Although there was a place in the picture for the text, the picture was the largest element of the book.

[Emily Kimball · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just found this book at the library for a reading project for one of my education classes. This is a beautiful story, and yet beautiful is still an understatement. A Place to Grow is not merely for children. People of all ages will value the messages about love, family, and the basic need that every living creature has for a safe place to grow.

A Place to Grow was dedicated to the families of the author and illustrator for having the courage to move around the world to give their children the opportunity to blossom. However, anyone who has leaps of faith in their family's history will recognize the genuine love and bravery of found in everyday actions.

I definitely teared up. :)

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book a father tells his daughter the story about how their family traveled from place to place before finding their home, relating his experiences to the journey a seed takes, riding the wind until it finds a place it can grow. This book could be used to teach children about social studies concepts like immigration and family histories, and could tie in to a science curriculum about plants, given the narrative about why the 'seed' kept moving (e.g., too dark, to dry, etc). This book could be particularly relevant to refugee families, and recent immigrant families, and could be to teach children to understand and appreciate their peers' diversity.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comparing the reasons for immigrating to the elements required for a seed to germinate and grow, a father shares the family's immigration story with his daughter as they work together in the garden. A book in which illustrations add much to the story and spark conversations of their own. This analogy works well with any lesson sharing the immigrant experience and the promise of America with elementary students.

[Gail Barge]

I just loved this book! It would be a great book to integrate science and social students concepts. The focus on the needs of plants, as well as the immigration to the United States from struggling countries can be seamlessly tied together. This book also focuses on each persons independence, and the idea that, no matter how far apart family members are, they are always still a family.

[Wilson Goss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It has a great refrain that repeats after each section: so the seed flew with the wind I ask it flew with the wind he says. The refrain intersperses dichotomies of darkness and lightness which is reflected in the illustrations. The analogy of a seed traveling and people traveling and finding a warm safe place to grow really works well in the story.

[Megan Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pak is a wonderful South Korean author. who wouldn't love a book that eneds with,
"Even if I fly across the tallest mountains,
the longest roads, and the widest seas,
there will always be a garden
in his heart for me."

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story uses many metaphors, which could be used to help teach a lesson on descriptive writing. This book could also be used to discuss diversity and the ideas that people come from different backgrounds and their life experiences vary.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just like a precious little seedling, a child needs a safe place to grow.

[Kit · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm really uncomfortable with the message of the book.

[Darrielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Introduce this story to children to encourage them to learn about their families' origin and history. This book is appropriate for 2nd to 5th grade readers.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

a great story for teaching children multicultural appreciation of their heritage

[Dana Snyder · Rating 3 out of 5]

seeds represent love
feel good book
"Even if you fly across the tallest mountains, the longest roads, and the widest seas, there will always be a garden in my heart for you."

[Kaylin]

"A Place to Grow" is appropriate for children in Pre-K through third grade. It is about a girl whose father teaches her how to plant seeds. He explains that seeds cannot grow in shade and that they need good, fertile land to flourish. At the end, the father tells the girl that there will always be a garden in his heart for her. This is a good book with good illustrations representing a Korean family. I chose it for it's representation and kind message. If I were to teach this in class, I would bring seeds for planting and, with the school's approval, have the class plant them outside. Throughout the year, we could go out and water them and make sure they are getting enough sunlight. Watching the progress would be a good learning experience. We could even take pictures once a week and hang them in the classroom to see the growth. A second activity would be learning about different plants and flowers that are found in a typical garden. We could discuss characteristics and physical features.