Beansprout

by Sarah Lynne Reul

What happens when you do everything right, but it doesn’t work out? When classmates start having success with their seeds, one student's just won't sprout.

A picture book about planting and growing, where grown-ups and kids can talk about disappointment, emotions, and second chances.

It's seed-planting time in Ms. Greene's classroom! One of the kids has big predictions for their mystery seed and does everything just so to make sure it grows. But as all the other seeds start to sprout, theirs . . . doesn't. 

So they proclaim they'll never try to grow another seed again! But when they learn the leftover seeds will be thrown out, they start to think about second chances and enlists their classmates to help plant a beautiful garden for all to enjoy.

A fantastic social-emotional learning book that'll inspire conversations about handling disappointment and one's emotions, while leaving readers with an encouraging and hopeful ending.

Genres: Picture Books, Science, Childrens, Plants, Stem, School, Gardening

48 pages, Hardcover

Published March 11, 2025

About the author

Sarah Lynne Reul is an author, illustrator and award-winning animator who likes science, tiny things and drawing on photos. Originally from Brooklyn, she now lives near Boston with her family.

After some years in science museum education, she was lured back to school by the magic of making drawings come to life. Armed with an MFA degree in 2D animation, Sarah Lynne now strives to pack the energy of animation into each illustration. She spends her workdays creating new books and talking with kids about the process during author visits throughout New England and beyond.

Her picture books and board books include: THE BREAKING NEWS, ALLIE ALL ALONG, PET THE PETS, FARM THE FARM, NERP!, and BUBBIE & RIVKA'S BEST-EVER CHALLAH (SO FAR!), coming this Fall from Abrams Books.

Reviews

[Stephanie ((Strazzybooks)) · Rating 4 out of 5]

nice story about not giving up

[Mags · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc.

Again, another book on tempering disappointment and learning to make the best of situations. I think books like this are important, and the added educational value of it talking about plant cycles and even having info on the growth of beans and how to plant them does make this a great read and something I could see teachers using. Also the art style in this is SO good.

[Hailey Corman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story about a boy who didn’t give up on his seeds. Gardening/planting seeds lesson would do well with this. Showing that even if it doesn’t grow that’s okay sometimes it happens, and you can try again.

[Anita Salát · Rating 4 out of 5]

This whole parenting thing is a kind of seed-planting. You try your best, you do everything according to books, instructions, advice, and yet sometimes things don't work out as they should. This book could be intended to parents just as much as to kids.
I'm not a fan of the colour palette this book uses, but the story teaches a precious lesson nevertheless.

[Srujan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beansprout' is a story about the quiet courage it takes to face disappointment, a lesson every child—as well as every adult—needs to learn. It takes you on a journey from that from that quiet ache of disappointment to the brave act of gathering all your inner strength with a stoic resolve and beginning again.

📌 A quick note before I dive in: Charlesbridge publications and NetGalley provided me with a copy of this book, but my thoughts and opinions are honestly my own.

Have you ever followed every instruction, done everything perfectly, and still watched your best-laid plans crumble? 'Beansprout' captures that frustrating, universally relatable experience with heartfelt honesty. Picture a classroom windowsill, bursting with tiny sprouts, except for one empty pot. Beansprout is the story of that pot, and that deeply feeling child who tends to it with unwavering hope. Ask me how deeply, because my daughter is one and she was just mad about how the book ended. A boy and his classmates embark on the project of sowing a randomly selected seed from a paperbag and tending to it, making notes about what they see as the plant grows. Unfortunately, the boy's seed fails to even sprout. My daughter felt the injustice of this outcome deeply in her heart and was in tears when we ended the book. Her reaction made me question how we promise our children that work hard, work with all your passion and enthusiasm and good things will happen.

This book made me take a step back, and I think I am going to be more careful, more thoughtful about what I promise my 4 year olds in the days to come. The story isn't solely about the disappointment frankly, because the boy decides to turn this not so favourable outcome into an opportunity, sowing all the remaining seeds with his classmates thus creating their own little classroom windowsill garden in the process. But, I realise my 4 year olds are still not ready for this, the heartbreak was a bit too intense for my daughter. We will revisit this book once she is older and she has planted a few more seeds than she has now. All heartache aside, I loved the book for the heartfelt sincerity with which it approaches the sensitivity subject of disappointment in life. Sometimes, even when we do everything perfectly, things don't go as planned. 'Beansprout' explores this difficult truth with empathy and a gentle touch.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Greene teaches her students about seeds by providing each student with a mystery seed. The students plant their seeds and take care of them over the next few weeks. Ben eagerly watches for his seed to sprout. As the other kids seeds sprout, Ben waits and waits. But to his great disappointment, his seed never sprouts. At first Ben never wants to grow anything ever again, until he sees the bag with the rest of the seeds in them. After he asks his teacher about them, he decides to try again by giving the rest of the seeds a chance to sprout, with the help of his classmates. Not only is this a great introduction to seeds and growing things, but it shows what facing disappointment and perseverance looks like. Back matter includes additional information about seeds, how they grow, and why sometimes they don't grow as expected. Reul's lovely watercolor and collage illustrations beautifully complement this story of growth. This is a great book for use in story times or classrooms. Highly recommended.

[Kaitlyn Bieszk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book does a great job of introducing children making a hypothesis, and how to plant seeds. I would encourage any teacher or parent who has their students/children plant seeds to read this book ahead of time to introduce their unit. Some students seeds take off and others seeds don't grow at all. It shows the emotions that children can have when this happens, but also the resiliency that some child can show to overcome a negative experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Charlesbridge for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Hillary Wolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book! In this children's book, it explains the mystery of a seed that students plant in Ms. Greene's room. The students got to plant the seeds, hypothesize how their seeds would grow, and observe their results after they did grow! When one students seed didn't grow, the students all came together to try and form a way, using the scientific method and collaborating skills, to try and regrow another seed. This book is great for any teachers doing lessons over the scientific method and it also teaches that when you fall down, you get right back up and try again.

[Marylovesreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

**Review of *Beansprout* by Sarah Lynne Reul - 5⭐️**

*Beansprout* is a delightful children's book that teaches an important lesson about resilience and perseverance. The story centers around a young protagonist who, along with his class, is tasked with planting a seed as part of a project. While his classmates’ seeds grow successfully, his doesn't thrive the same way, leading to feelings of disappointment. However, the story emphasizes how persistence and a positive attitude can help overcome challenges, no matter how small they may seem.

The book also introduces a bit of gardening knowledge in a fun and accessible way, making it both educational and motivational. Sarah Lynn Reuf does an excellent job blending themes of growth, both literal and metaphorical, with a relatable narrative. The charming illustrations further bring the story to life, capturing the emotions of the main character as he navigates his setbacks and learns valuable lessons.

A heartwarming and encouraging read, *Beansprout* is a perfect choice for young readers learning about the power of perseverance.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[thebookthatamylikes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes, things don't always go as planned or in this case, planted. I love how the Sarah Lynne Reul shows a real glimpse into a science classroom with this boo "Beansprout". Showing the creativity of sparking the class or students' interest and curiosity at the beginning of the story I know will be a great hook for young readers and scientists alike. The use of descriptive words in colors that just off the page to describe the bag of seeds is a great way lead students in a conversation about observations and word choice. What I really love is the use of the scientific method with the class in the story to help it move along but also make it a very teachable moment. I would recommend this book to K-4th grade classrooms as a mentor text for their life science unit or when they are studying the scientific method.

Beansprout
Sarah Lynne Reul

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced copy of Beansprout n exchange for an honest review.**

What happens when you do everything right, and it just doesn’t work out?

All the kids In Mrs. Greenes class are doing an experiment using “Mystery Seeds”. Each child is given a seed along with the perfect instructions, to make this seed grow. The students are having to learn patience, as they await the first sprout. Finally the time has come for action to happen, and all the kids are excited to see the seeds sprouting. One kid in particular has done everything- exactly how the instructions said, but ends up being let down with no sprouts at all. You will have to read to see what happens. At first I was a little let down by the end of the book, but then I thought about the lesson being taught here. If at first you don’t succeed - TRY AGAIN. There are lots of lessons in this tiny book that I think would be perfect for younger students. I would definitely recommend.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Greene has a special assignment for Ben and the rest of his classmates. They're each going to pick a random mystery seed, predict how it will grow, and then wait for the magic to happen!

The only problem is that Ben's seed, whom he affectionately names Bean, doesn't grow. Even when the rest of his classmates' seeds have sprouted, Ben's pot is empty. But after sitting with his sadness and mustering up a lot of courage, Ben discovers that just because something doesn't work (or grow!) the first time, doesn't mean you can't try again.

This is such a cute book with a wonderful message — and I LOVE the art style!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young dark-skinned boy, Ben, chooses a seed along with the rest of his classmates. They all plant and water their seeds, not too much, just enough. Ben watches as his classmates seeds all begin to sprout. His seed never sprouts. Once the project is over and the other children are drawing their "after" pictures of their plants, Ben shoves all of his hypothesis pictures in the trash. But then he notices the original bag of mystery seeds. Ms. Greene says they don't have time to use them and they would expire before the next school year. Ben has an idea and his classmates jump in to help. Soon, many new pots have soil and seeds, waiting to see what happens.

Such a perfect story for that time of year when classrooms are planting seeds in cups.

[Hallpassreader Carrie Prock · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the different kinds of illustrations that look like paper layered on top to give it more of a 3-D effect. It made it look more like it was made by a child and by doing so made it more relatable to a child. It is a great book to show the scientific process in a simplistic form for primary students. It even gives kids a chance to think about how they would react if their experiment didn’t work. I would definitely read this book before doing an experiment with my class, just in case one of the students experiments didn’t work. I also appreciated that it ended with a positive of how the boy had hope for the other seeds to grow.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Charlesbridge for the digital arc.
Ms. Greene introduces her students to a bag of one hundred mystery seeds from which her little ones choose one each. In anticipation of what will sprout, each seed is be loved and nourished with water, sunlight, and lots of patience. Surprise ending is marvelous and is perfect for the child's “seed” study and back matter offers ample information to answer questions. Gorgeous illustrations created with mixed media, with water color, tissue paper prints and collage on watercolor paper.
#Beansprout #NetGalley

[Dylan Teut · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would have loved this book when I was a first grade teacher and we planted vegetable seeds each spring for students to monitor growth and take home. Sometimes, the seeds/ beans did not flourish and it led to sadness and disappointment. This book provides some perspectives for children who don't get a sprout like everyone else, as well as ways to channel disappointment into alternative solutions. I recommend this to any teacher who does a planting experience in their classrooms to deal with disappointment and channel feelings into something appropriate and helpful.

[Angela De Groot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes we do our very best and things still don’t turn out as planned. The disappointment can be crushing unless, like Ben, we redirect our efforts, try again, and remain enthusiastic and hopeful. Planting seeds are an act of faith, a risk with a possibility of no reward, but without trying we can never succeed. This engaging story about a boy and his classmates planting seeds and waiting to see what sprouts will have readers eager to plant their own mysteries and hoping for a magical outcome.

[Aolund · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid school story about a class seed-starting project, hypotheses, and the emotions that accompany the failure of main character Ben's seed's failure to germinate. I wish the teacher had warned the kids that it's always possible for a seed not to germinate! But it was cool that Ben persevered and planted more seeds despite this disappointment.

Themes: Seeds, Gardening, Science, School
Age range: Preschool-Early Elementary

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐
What a beautiful book illustrating that sometimes in life, things don't always go your way, but rather to keep trying and never give up.

Such an important message with beautiful artwork. Will be holding on to this book to continue reading to my son.

✨ Thank you Charlesbridge & NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of anticipation, a class plants seeds and hypothesizes about what will grow. But, despite his best efforts, one child's seed never germinates. He is frustrated and sad. But he rallies and decides to try again with other seeds.
Tie-in with science units about seeds in lower elementary grades.

[Ann Koffsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This lovely story beautifully shows readers how to handle disappointment, overcome it, and come out with the excitement to try again. Really thoughtful. The illustrations and their collage style are just lovely too, and give a tactile feeling to the story as well. Highly recommend!

[GS Dachslove · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little bit long, but a great story. Whole class grows different "mystery" seeds, and one little boy's bean doesn't grow. Talks about the scientific method and what seeds need to grow. But also a good lesson that every science experiment doesn't end up successfully.

[Rachel Adrianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the almost three dimensional illustrations! The book sort of explains the scientific method as well as rudimentary planting, but I didn't like the abrupt ending. Nonfiction explanations at the end of the story.

[Alexandria Whitaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It tells a story about a science lesson gone wrong, so it might be good to read to students if I do a similar science lesson to them. This book also incorporates adjectives, so students that read this book will see examples of how to describe a noun.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can see this as part of a young elementary science program

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit of a stretch book for young preschoolers, but a successful one. Loved how this book embraces growth mindset (pun not intended)

[Meghan Bohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one, especially the message of not giving up.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Teacher brings mystery seeds to class for a lesson in patience and growing plants. Waiting is the hard part, especially when they grow at different rates. Good lessons.
The illustrations by the author are simple, muted colors, easily add to the text.
Well suited for reading WITH someone 4 - 7 Years or more including ESL, and great for gifting to everyone, but especially to a school or your local public library!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected e-Galley on Adobe Digital Editions from Charlesbridge via NetGalley. Thank you!
Avail Mar 11, 2025 #Beansprout by Sarah Lynne Reul @Charlesbridge @SarahLynneReul @Illustrated #NetGalley @goodreads @bookbub @librarythingofficial @barnesandnoble @waterstones ***** #Review @booksamillion @bookshop_org @bookshop_org_uk @childrensbookcouncil @CBCBook
#Imagination

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is perfect for a class read. About a class preparing for their unit on how things grow, each child gets a different seed and has to predict how they think it will grow. Then the whole class begins to see green and no bean, Ben's little seed didn't grow. The teacher explains that sometimes seeds don't grow, and that is ok. The final pages explain to kids what seeds are, how they know to grow, and what you can do if a seed doesn't grow. This book is a good addition to any classroom but would find a special place on campuses that feature community gardens.