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The Weed
The members of the Meadowsweet family suddenly and unexpectedly find themselves at the bottom of a giant crack in the earth. With the help of their pet bird, Octavia, and a magical seed, the family goes on a journey to the surface. A charming, fantastical story about discovery, the potential for growth, the power of an idea, and the importance of having faith in nature and the world around us.
Audible Audio
Published September 1, 2025
47 people want to read
About the author
Quentin Blake
817 books741 followersSir Quentin Saxby Blake is an English cartoonist, caricaturist, illustrator and children's writer. He has illustrated over 300 books, including 18 written by Roald Dahl, which are among his most popular works. For his lasting contribution as a children's illustrator he won the biennial international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2002, the highest recognition available to creators of children's books. From 1999 to 2001, he was the inaugural British Children's Laureate. He is a patron of the Association of Illustrators.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 23, 2021
Lovely, simple tale about how the planet has everything we need and will look after us if only we will look after the planet and the other creatures we share it with. The idea came across well without seeming preachy.
June 20, 2020
An allegorical tale of environmental conservation and the importance of caring for the environment, as it will care for you.
May 21, 2021
I totally got this book - it is a safe and comforting book in the middle of all the craziness of the past year. I love the faces of the family and I love the message of growth and I really love the feel of the paper used for printing!
January 11, 2021
A weed that grows at an astonishing speed entices the Meadowsweet family to climb it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2022
Picked this out as a reservation for a customer and flicked through it on the way.
The story is absolute nonsense with no real structure. It’s just ‘an impossible event occurred, a pet saved the day, and the conclusion is pointless and dull’. It’s very Jack and the Beanstalk, but a lot less structured. The story is a 3, but the wonderful artwork redeems it to get it a 4th star.
It’s a kids book, so don’t expect a lot, but still I think stories should have substance whether for kids or adults.
Reading other peoples reviews, it makes more sense if you think of it along the lines of conservation and listening to the world we live in, and respecting nature. It just missed the mark with me.
The story is absolute nonsense with no real structure. It’s just ‘an impossible event occurred, a pet saved the day, and the conclusion is pointless and dull’. It’s very Jack and the Beanstalk, but a lot less structured. The story is a 3, but the wonderful artwork redeems it to get it a 4th star.
It’s a kids book, so don’t expect a lot, but still I think stories should have substance whether for kids or adults.
Reading other peoples reviews, it makes more sense if you think of it along the lines of conservation and listening to the world we live in, and respecting nature. It just missed the mark with me.
August 31, 2020
Really not sure about this and the message it's trying to convey. Made me think of Jack and the Beanstalk but also of Noah - sending out the dove to find evidence of land. Read this to a 6 year old and she didn't connect with it all.
November 29, 2021
"I think it's great. It's funny." "Yeah, I'd like to read it again." - My girls.
All the green is a delight to the senses as you read through the story, being reminded that "weeds" are usually the best, most helpful, and good for us. 3.5 stars
All the green is a delight to the senses as you read through the story, being reminded that "weeds" are usually the best, most helpful, and good for us. 3.5 stars
March 27, 2020
A simple masterpiece!
May 5, 2020
A lovely environmental message.
October 28, 2020
Unsatisfying story conclusion buried in the inimitable Quentin Blake illustrations.
April 28, 2021
It was an interesting story, but I kind of don't get it?
April 8, 2022
Quite a nice simple story about looking after the creatures and plants in our world and they will also look after us.
June 7, 2022
Bit of a random one (in a slightly different way than most of his books), but still enjoyable.
August 1, 2022
I love this illustrator, and this story was great in support of GreenPeace.
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén
July 5, 2025
3.6 ⭐️
March 6, 2020
It was okay, but it felt like I had already read it a thousand times before. Very Jack in the beanstalky fairy tale type vibe
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews