I did not finish - I have tried reading this book on multiple occasions and just could not get into it.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the idea behind the story, but it didn't really draw me in too much.

I couldn't download, but located a book at the library.
This was a fun little story of how a seed disrupted, then brought together a community of gnomes, animals, insects and other garden critters. I liked this story. I think it will younger kids some food for thought! The illustrations are busy and interesting with bright colors and have a nice assortment of working critters.

I wanted to like this title so much more than I do. The story is dragging and the illustrations are over crowded and simple. The story ends nicely enough with an optimistic view for next spring, but I just didn't connect like I really wanted.

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

The message of this book is simple. We have a clear presentation of the disruption of change. The characters find all change inherently negative. And seeing only a small part of the change, this seems like an accurate perception. It's only when they see the whole picture that they can find the overall positive. and find a way to work with that change. Simple enough for a small child to appreciate.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Title: And Then The Seed Grew
Author: Marianne Dubuc
Format: eBook via @netgalley
My Rating: 3.5/5

A sweet story with animals and nature, something every child can enjoy. The art is pleasant and neat. Each image portrays clearly what is going on in the story while adding a whimsical feeling. There are maybe one or two places where a little more story/detail could have been added to make the story a bit longer. But in all it was great and this for kids.


All opinions are my own.

Awesome book! Really enjoyed reading it with my son. We loved the way this book developed. Also very good pictures to describe what's happening in the story. In the end it is great how all the creatures join together to find a solution to their problem. Very well thought out. Would definitely recommend!

Thanks so much Netgalley for approving this copy to be reviewed.
So this is such a sweet book and goes to show what happens above and below of when a seed starts to grow.
A great educational book about the plant cycle and so much more about growing a garden.
I recommend this to anyone with children willing to learn how to plant a plant or even a garden.

Thank you again Netgalley for the ARC.

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.

ARC Copy...like the other works by the creator...filled with cross sections inviting readers to take a look and find while explaining, sometimes it's best to just grow with it for the better!

Honestly, I didn’t really care for ‘And Then The Seed Grew’. Between the writing style and the illustrations, it just didn’t interest me. I found myself just skimming and skipping just to get to the end. Unfortunately this is one I would skip over at a store.

A cute story about taking a seemingly negative situation and finding the positive to it. I liked the pictures. The names were a lot to keep up with for younger kids. Cute overall.

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.

*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.

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.