Firstly, I would like to thank Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc of the book. This review is based on my personal opinion and enjoyment of the book.

I loved and adored everything about this book and the message it brings. I look forward to owning this gem personally and in my classroom

As a parent, and teacher, I loved the multiple layers of this beautifully illustrated book. I love that it can be read as a story about the plant life cycle - a great addition to an early childhood science curriculum - but that there’s also the added element of being patient and waiting to come into your own, Growing up is hard, and it can be overwhelming and confusing to figure out your place in the world. This story addresses that very issue in an age appropriate and engaging way. My panda loving daughters loved the addition of their favorite squishy animals, too. This book would be a great addition to a classroom library, or a family bookshelf. The faith related elements are subtle, and can easily be expanded on to meet the spiritual level of your audience. Really enjoyed this one.

"You're More Than a Sprout" is a sweet story book reminding children to be patient as God leads them along THEIR own path, to the purpose He has for them! Beautiful Illustrations, I will be reading this to my grandchildren.
Thank you NetGalley and Jill Roman Lord for the opportunity to read this precious book pre-publishing.

A little bamboo seed is unhappy to be stuck on the ground after seeing the wide world from the air. He wonders what his purpose is being stuck in the dirt. But after he sprouts he eventually learns why the Master made him that way.

The point the book is trying to make is important, that we all have a special purpose and our influence can reach way beyond what we know. I love the Asian setting. That is all too rare in Christian picture books. The illustration style is very cute too. I felt like the rhyme needed some more work at times, though I’ve thought the author’s other books I’ve read were excellent. The factual notes in the back of this book about bamboo refer to a specific type of bamboo, but that isn’t clarified and I think it will just confuse our students who see tons of varieties of bamboo daily. (I teach in Thailand.) I wish they had clarified that it was Chinese bamboo that takes so long to germinate and grow. A lot of the varieties of bamboo we see can shoot up in a matter of days, and I can just hear little kids here trying to correct the book. Recommended for Christian families and schools.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was cute, but too long to keep the attention span of its intended audience. The thinking was clever, but it seemed a little preachy for a children’s book.

This is a beautiful children's story which illustrates the way that growing pains can affect all of us, told through the eyes of a Little Bamboo Seed. Life starts out fun and carefree but when it's time to be planted and begin to grow up, the Little Seed doesn't feel quite so happy anymore.

This is a beautiful tale about looking forward to the future with hope and optimism even when the current season of life doesn't feel all too promising. I loved this story and would highly recommend it for anyone with children because it teaches a very important life lesson about the values of patience and optimistic thought.

Thank you NetGalley and B&H Kids for the digital advance reading copy of this book.

I loved the illustrations in this book; they were colorful, interesting, and highlighted the text perfectly. I liked the rhyming text used throughout the story, it makes it fun to read and easier to remember.

This book would make a great gift for baptisms or communions.

I got this on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

This is a really cute picture book with a lovely message about self-love and how everyone develops and lives at their own pace! I still think that using the bamboo sprout as a symbol for how our actions and existence have an impact and leave a mark on the world around us is a bit weird. I understand the message, but also the: I see how I've left a mark on so much, and therefore I should just be okay with people cutting me down and animals eating me" was VERY strange.

Overall think it was good tho, would give it 3.5 ⭐️

“What if you grow to be more than you ever imagined?

Little Bamboo Seed loves floating along with the breeze, taking in the sights and sounds below, and dreaming of the next exciting chapter in his life. His daydreaming comes to an abrupt halt as he finds himself crashing to the ground and buried under a ton of dirt. There he remains helpless and abandoned. He reminisces about all he has seen on his flight and longs to be part of that world not stuck in the dark and feeling hopeless.

Alas the dirt becomes his prison for weeks, months and years. But all is not lost because exciting things are happening in that dark secret place. Little Bamboo Seed is growing and sprouting and getting ready to emerge bigger and stronger and ready to contribute to the world above that he loves so much. He also learns a very valuable life lesson. He discovers that although he was tucked away for so long and feeling alone and sad, God was preparing him for things to accomplish that he never could have even imagined. God never left him or forgot about him but was moulding and growing him to fulfill his important destiny in life.

The illustrations are excellent and enrich the text greatly. The message of the book is that God is always working wonders on our behalf and those that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength and accomplish more than anyone could even dream or imagine. I highly recommend this book as it brings the reader a message of hope and ultimate happiness.

Oh this was a cute one! I loved the artwork and the rhyming. This is a good message to kids that they have purpose and won't be sprouts forever. That things take time, but eventually everything works out. according the God's plan for you. It's sort of like a mini Bible study for kids, which questions and verses at the back to go through together. Cute way to deliver this message in a form kids would understand and be interested in.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this modern day parable of the bamboo seed. The seed cannot see what he can be because he is so focused on what he cannot. God's plan though encompasses so much more than he imagined. I think the illustrations are beautiful and the message will speak to many hearts, children and parents alike.

Such a fun book! The classic story of patience and trusting the Lord to work all things to the good but with the fun, unique twist of seeing it through the eyes of a bamboo shoot. On top of a super easy read, the illustrations are colorful and beautiful. The real sign of a great book? The kiddos wanted to reread it immediately!

This is one of the most wonderful stories for children to learn a lesson of how each person has their own time for there own things and that God has a plan.

This is a cute book with nice illustrations! It’s a good message about our purpose and God’s plans for us.

The story is written using poetry with a strong rhyming scheme that has a similar rhythm to Dr. Seuss, which will have readers floating through this book again and again. However, this is definitely a niche title considering its strong religious tones, so I would definitely recommend it to customers as a gift for Baptisms or Confirmations.

You’re More Than a Sprout is a children’s book about God having a purpose for all creatures, even when it can’t be seen. A tiny bamboo seed floats through the air and lands on the ground. His frustration grows as he waits to see God’s plan for him.

I thought the illustrations for this story were really beautiful, Sarah Demonteverde did an incredible job on this project. I also liked that the story told a clear message and had a clear audience. At the end, there was a nice family activity and a tie in to scripture which was a good wrap-up.

Some things I wish would have been different: I wish God or Creator had been used instead of Master. Master, almost like the word “Moist”, just isn’t a word that I love to hear or that I connect with. I grew up going to church 3x/week and that really was never how God was described to me. I wish that I had greater background knowledge of bamboo so that I could have followed the story a bit better. And I wish that the story had provided more education on the plant life cycle. I think there’s a nice opportunity here to tie in education with the message.

I received a free copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a children's book that I read to my twin boys. The pictures where so cute, and they loved the pictures. I feel that story it self was just ok, and it did not pull them into it. I also think the beginning and the end was really good, but the middle was a little jumpy and not as good. I receive an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.

Overall I think this book was very cute. The illustrations were adorable and well done. I do like that the theme of the book is that everything in the world had a purpose, even little bamboo seedlings. However, due to this book having a Christian theme and bible verses on the final page I cannot add this to my classroom or recommend it to fellow public school educators. However, I do think it would be a great addition to a church or a private religious school. The star rating is based on my enjoyment of the art style and basic premise of the book.

I received an ARC copy of You're More Than a Sprout courtesy of @Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

You're More Than a Sprout by Jill Roman tells the life journey of a bamboo sprout from the cultivation, the germination through to its final purpose in a beautifully illustrated book. Through the telling of the sprouts desires versus its destiny for a higher purpose, Roman illustrates Bible verses Philippians 1:16 and psalm 27:14..

The title is best pitched at 9-14-year-olds but we can all appreciate the deeper meaning in the tale.

I noticed one grammatical error at 35% but aside from that, the book is well-edited.

Areally enjoyable book for which I award 4/5 stars.