And Then the Seed Grew

by Marianne Dubuc

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.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Nature, Animals, Fiction, Gardening, Environment

32 pages, Hardcover

First published June 6, 2018

About the author

Diplômée en design graphique à l'Université du Québec à Montréal, Marianne Dubuc est auteure et illustratrice. Elle a signé une demi-douzaine de livres jeunesse, notamment deux ouvrages publiés à la rentrée 2010, Devant ma maison et Un éléphant qui se balançait...

Reviews

[La Coccinelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

*thank you to Netgalley, Kids Can Press and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

2 stars.

This was ok. Nothing about it really stood out for me but it was a nice enough little story about how a plant grows from a seed. I did like how the story told of how this affected the homes of the animals that lived underground and then at the end how a negative was turned into a positive.

[Etienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original book that combine a fun story with educative contents about the life of a plant. I read some book by this author (which I always seem to read in English when I should probably read her works in the original French edition...) and her book are always high quality works in every aspects. A young author that deserve attention and respect! Well done!!

[KC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the illustrations. Font and story, not so much.

[Char (lunarchar_) · Rating 4 out of 5]

(AD|ARC|NETGALLEY|GIFTED). Firstly the front cover was gorgeous and the incredible illustrations followed throughout the book. This was such a gorgeous story all about animals but more importantly about acceptance and change. It’s so important for children’s books to help kids learn and experience things and this did that perfectly.

[Morton Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Upbeat | Anthropomorphic | Whimsical (Appeal terms from NoveList) - Hilary

[Tracy Mabry]

Darling illustrations!

[Anne Lutomia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A creative and wonderful lesson about conflict management using the metaphor of a growing seed.

[Stacy Renee (LazyDayLit) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a temporary ecopy of this picture book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Life is pleasant in the garden for Mr. Gnome and the critters and insects that live both above and below ground until a seed falls from the sky and starts growing right into their homes! Yvonne the mole and the Field Mouse family try to patch up their ceilings, and the ants try to go around, but when the plant continues to grow both above and below, they all know something must be done!

This is the story of a community coming together to solve a serious problem that affects them all! It's all about unity and compassion, staying positive and making the best out of a bad situation.

We were first introduced to author/illustrator Marianne Dubuc through her picture books, Mr. Postmouse's Rounds and Mr. Postmouse Takes A Trip, which we adored. I couldn't pass up another one of her books, especially seeing that it is garden related!

In And Then the Seed Grew, each spread shows both the above-ground and below-ground dwellings (sort of like looking at an ant farm!) with lots of details to show the animals lives and habits. Each time the seed grew, we could see how it affected Mr. Gnome, his neighbors, and their homes.

We really love Dubuc's unique storytelling and illustrating style. There's always something new to notice on every page!

This review was originally shared on Lazy Day Literature.

[Nikki Rohn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed by Kirkus, 'And Then the Seed Grew' by Marianne Dubuc is an international story about change and acceptance. This story was interesting to read as the huge problem in the story ended up being a positive element to the each of the characters. I love when stories have a plot twist where the characters have a realization about the conflict in the story. This story is a perfect example of that! The characters were faced with challenges but by the end of the story realized that their challenge was also a helpful, beneficial addition to their lives.

I read this story using a physical copy of the book which I enjoyed. I liked having a physical copy of the book because I was able to flip backwards to reread as the story was changing. I always enjoy going back to reread text. This is something that I always encourage my students to do!

I might use this story in one of my science units. One of our third grade science units is a plant unit. I could see the students loving this story as they learn about plant growth and different ecosystems. I would also use this story for a reading lesson about predictions. Students could make predictions in the beginning and middle of the story to predict what will happen because of the growth of this 'disruptive' plant. Overall, I enjoyed this story.

[Jennifer Fischer · Rating 4 out of 5]

And Then the Seed Grew is a gentle story about garden inhabitants, including a gnome, ants, and a family of field mice, and how their world changes when a mysterious seed begins to grow in the garden. At first, the seed is a minor inconvenience, but eventually their lives are dramatically changed because of one small seed. Eventually, the garden community thinks that they have no choice but to cut down the plant. Just in time, one garden inhabitant points out the benefits that came from having the seed grow in their garden and the community decides that maybe they can live with the seed after all.

This is a cute book and I will likely share it with my own children. I love stories that are a little quirky or different, so this is one that I could see myself rereading with my children regularly. However, I would be hesitant to add this book to my school library because I do not think it's a book that the children I serve would reach for. With that said, there are some niche groups that would really enjoy this story and it could be a great addition to a public library collection.

I received a free copy of this title from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley

[Cheriee Weichel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had trouble when I first tried to read this on my iPad. The story is composed of double page spreads that are integral to understanding what's going on. On my device, I was only able to read one page at a time. It also seemed a bit wordy and the font is very small. I went through some rigmarole to figure out which pages went together. I even brought a couple into Photoshop to see what the full spread would look like. It worked much better seeing this bigger picture, but the font is still too small.

When I finally figured out how the pages fit together and went to the trouble of combining them, I loved the artwork. I can see younger students poring over the details. Heck, I was fascinated by the cross sections of the animal abodes under ground.

I ended up enjoying the story. There are layers of meaning to ponder and messages of all sorts to take away from it. It addresses adapting to change, understanding the systemic nature of the environment, and working together with others, just to start. I am left wondering what students will take out of it.

The ending is a bit humorous, but I can imagine a heated discussion with students about what the community should do.

[Pascal Scallon-Chouinard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Album fort sympathique qui met en récit un petit monde souterrain chamboulé par une graine qui atterrit et qui, progressivement, germe et développe ses racines. Histoire de résistance d’abord, puisque ce qui est nouveau et inhabituel est décrié et combattu; histoire de résilience et d’acceptation par la suite, alors que chaque personnage finit par voir les bienfaits que peut amener cette nouvelle situation. C’est un récit qui permet aux enfants de mieux comprendre et accepter la notion de changement, et qui leur apprend qu’il est possible, malgré les difficultés et le bouleversement que cela peut occasionner, de tirer profit d’une situation nouvelle et d’en sortir avec encore plus de force.

Les illustrations sont jolies, mais plutôt répétitives. Ça permet à l’enfant de mieux cerner les personnages et leur environnement, mais, en contrepartie, ça rend plus difficile le maintien de leur intérêt et de leur attention.

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 3 out of 5]

Translated from French into English, published in 2019.

A mysterious seed falls and begins to grow, disrupting life in the garden as it invades the homes and work of most of the animals. They are ready to chop it down when they look at the plant for what it is and contributes to all.

Dubuc's story has a charm, but not enough to raise it much over average. The text is very small in this oversize book; the illustrations are what makes/breaks this book. Illustrations by Dubuc are primitive, outlines with full color inserted digitally. Each of the creatures has a personality of its own, though I still wonder what Jack is supposed to be. (Lost in translation?).

This could be used as an I Spy-type or Where's Waldo?-type game, as all characters can be found on each.

Additional for grades PreSchool-2.

[Pete Barell · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher.

RIP Yvonne's bathroom...

This is a story about community and coming together to tackle a larger problem. All of the ground dwelling animals have their daily lives obstructed by a new plant in the garden. They let their frustrations get the better of them and fail to see the positives of their situation until the very end. This isn't groundbreaking, in fact it feels like I've read this somewhere before, but maybe it is because it has an old fable tone to it. The artwork is fun, with each animal having a bit of an identity (like Paulie, the misanthropic mouse). I found the text to be way too small for certain pages, I hope the publisher fixes that.

[Theediscerning · Rating 1 out of 5]

A rather poor picture book, that I was expecting much more of. When a seed lands in Jack's garden I thought this would be a riff on the Beanstalk tale, but no, it's a tale of a whole load of garden inhabitants, mostly underground ones, taking umbrage at a root growing through their territory. It looks alright, and reads OK too, but anyone who has learnt that, er, life is in three dimensions, will realise this story is actually claptrap. Even with the moral of 'be careful of dismissing things out of hand', for that sin I think one star is your lot.

[joyce w. laudon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story has whimsical illustrations that show life both above and below the ground. Above are the troll father and son, while below are the various animal families, all of whose houses are illustrated in detail. The story is simple; a seed falls into the ground and disrupts life both above and below. It is up to Jack to protect the (tomato) plant and restore order.

This book's strength is the illustrations while the idea of what goes on below ground may also appeal to young listeners.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this read in exchange for an honest review.

[Barbra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love all of Marianne Dubuc's books, her illustrations always contain the tiniest detail and make reading a real search and find. In this story we get a look underground, beneath the Gnome's small garden. All the creatures are happily living in their own spaces when suddenly a root from a seed starts to invade their homes. They all agree that the plant must come down, until they see its usefulness above. A wonderful book to share with small gardeners.

[Leah Horton · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a cute story. The drawings were fun to follow from page to page. I loved how the animals and bugs were so fed up with the plant that they were turning into a mob to cut it down. Once they had a more positive outlook and thought about all of the wonderful benefits of the plant they realized they could not only live with the changes made but they could enjoy it.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute story with a unique way of showing how a seed and its roots grow underground, how even the smallest plant creates an impact (for better or worse, depending on which critter you ask) on the existing life around it. I enjoyed it, but I feel like the problems the seed causes are left unresolved-- Yvonne the mole still can't use her bathroom, among other things!

[Amber Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

And Then the Seed Grew is such a cute book with a different perspective on seeds and plants. While we all love watching a seed grow, how often do we take time to think about how the plant growth will affect things underground. I love the animals and their team meetings and how they created a plan together. Can't wait to read this one to my classroom.

[Abby Johnson]

All the creatures, aboveground and below, are happy in the garden until a seed starts to grow and begins to wreak havoc on their dwellings. But with some creative thinking, maybe they can live together with this new plant. This is a unique take on gardening and seed-to-plant stories and the illustrations have lots of fun details that kids will love poring over.

[Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Le petit peuple du jardin, composé de Monsieur Lutin, du petit Jaco, d'Yvette la taupe, de Paulo le ver, de Colette la fourmi et de la famille Mulot, vit paisiblement, tant sur le sol que sous la terre. Quand une graine tombe du ciel, écrabouillant au passage le chapeau de petit Jaco, elle va cependant générer bien des soucis. (...) [SDM]
Henry a bien aimé :')

[Villain E · Rating 2 out of 5]

A seed falls in the garden and all of the little garden creatures are inconvenienced by the roots growing into their underground places. The art is cute but the story is only about three pages worth of content stretched out to occupy the book. The text is small, which tells me the author or editor never thought about kids reading it on their own.

[Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un album à la trame narrative intéressante pour découvrir les dessous des plantes et de la nature. Des illustrations sympathiques et colorées qui émerveilleront certainement les tout-petits dans cette histoire prônant le compromis!

[Boom! · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet and charming story! What was considered a nuance at first, turned out to be very beneficial for the inhabitants of the garden community. Illustrations were very detailed and cute, my kids were very fond of following the travels of the worm from page to page.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this arc from Netgalley for an honest review. This cute book for kids is about what happens to each of them when a seed drops and creates havoc for those above and below ground. Super cute and nature oriented.

[Amanda Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the story is a little slow, the illustrations and ideas are great. The pictures show what happens above and below ground after a seed falls and plants itself. This is very helpful in classroom lessons. For regular fiction reading pleasure the plot and solution are cute but not amazing.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The above ground and below ground little residents of the garden were busy doing their work to tend the garden. One day a seed took root and made life all mixed up for them. Right when they were about to cut down the plant that had grown, they made a wonderful discovery. Cute illustrations.

[Hannah Crull-sher · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are cute, and this would be a good story to read for a lifecycle of a plant type of lesson plan, but overall I didn't find it that engaging or original.