A sweet, interesting read for young ones on the themes of environmental consciousness, caring for others, and community. Beautifully illustrated, with logical structure and a hopeful ending. I enjoyed this with the littles in my family. Similar in structure and themes to Seuss’s “The Lorax,” without the elements of desperation and fear that can be off-putting to some younger readers. Kindness and hope whisper through these pages, and these make the book a much more pleasant experience than some others with similar lessons to share.

A cute picture book for the little ones to spark discussion about preservation and caring for our planet and what it has to offer.

I loved how the story flows in this picture book and how it's about seeds and seed banks but also about time passing and generations.

The illustrations really bring it to life. They are quite simple, but highly evocative and engaging.

A delightful read!

Saving Delicia is a story about a little girl, her friends Old Otis, saving seeds and the environment. Kari loves the fruit from the Delicia Tree, but there is only one left in the world, in her town has to share the fruit. Old Otis tells her about the tree, and how it died from blight. The blight will also kill any seeds they plant, so unless the scientists find a cure. when that tree dies, Delicia Trees will be extinct. Kari comes up with an idea and with the help of her friends, some research and Otis' freezer, they collect seeds not only from the Delicia Fruit, but other plants and flowers and create a seed bank for the future. There is a bit of sadness as the time comes when both Old Otis and the Delicia Tree dies.

I liked this story a bit more than my youngest grandkids. The first thing we has to do was google the Delicia Tree. Although I knew it was fictional, it was a good teaching point about research and looking things up. We also looked up plant blight and extinct plants as the two older ones found this interesting. The illustrations were nice, although a bit to basic to attract interest. This is a great book for classrooms, schools and even parents who want to teach about the environment, extinction and that even small things can make a change in our world. 5 Stars from me, 4 from the kids.

I think I was expecting to learn about variation in apples from this book. The inclusion of seed banks was a pleasant surprise. I liked the practical rationale behind the creation of such things. A pleasant story with soft illustrations.

I really love the heart of this story. Even though Delicia trees aren’t real, this story will inspire children to save seeds, share them, and grow their own plants.

Very charming and beautifully written. One of my favorites in terms of art style! Gorgeous work.

This sweetly optimistic story is about Kari, who loves fruit from the delicia tree, but there's only one left! Kari comes up with a plan to save the seeds, but will it be enough? The warm, cheerful art work is a perfect compliment to this adorable book.

Cute story of passing down wisdom and blessings for the next generation. Creates discussions about conservation and the importance of caring for nature. Lovely illustrations. Sustains the notion to take opportunities that won't be available forever. An example of time working in the character's favour. Emphasises that age is not a boundary when it comes to friendship. Introduces the concept of a seed bank. Brings forth emotions of longing and determination. Recommended for those searching for progress. Overall, a good read.

This is a very special book that seems to be destined as a classic! Great story, Lovely messages, darling illustrations, and great back-matter pertaining to seed saving . A great addition to the classroom or home library. I loved this book!

Such as sweet story about a little girl who dreams up a plan to save a beloved tree so that
generations to come can continue to enjoy its fruit.

This story is a great way to introduce the concept of seed banks to small children and to encourage them to care for plants and the environment.

Children's book are wrecking me lately... dang it.

This book is all about seed saving and it is super cute, albeit a little sad.

I love the title "Small Seeds and Big Dreams" it is lovely.

The book is very colorful and is about Kari and Cookie, listening to Old Otis' stories about the wonderful Delicia trees, but there is only one now because of a disease. Kari takes it upon herslef to collect all sorts of seeds and wait until she can plant all the trees.

Super cute, super sustainable, I love this so much. The book will teach young readers about plant disease, seed storage and seed banks. That said the Delicia tree isn't a real tree, maybe the author could have found a real example, but either way it hits just right. The story was lovely, but we lose some trees and Old Otis along the way... the story honors them well but as a children's book is a bit quick to move on.

I think that this would be a great addition to any library, so lovely. Great read for Spring.

A lovely story about saving trees [along with other plants and flowers and foods] through the making of a seed bank [the author's note at the end really expands on this and has made me realize I need to look into this more and is something families can start together]. It is also a story about friendship, caring for those around us, and continuing the tradition of story-telling over the years.

Beautifully illustrated, this is a story for every family to read and enjoy together as well as learning how important seed banks and caring for the world around us is.

Well done.

Thank you to NetGalley, Laura Gehl, Patricia Metola - Illustrator and Flyaway Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Such a delightful book covering so many things...,,.storytelling, circle of life, science of seeds, passing of history, and more,

Kari loves to sit in the shade of the one delicia tree listening to old Otis share stories of his youth when there were many delicia trees, something Kari cannot even imagine. When she decides to save seeds in order to plant more trees, Otis tells her that the blight killed all the other trees and that scientists have not discovered a way to leep the blight away or to cure it if it attacks plants. Kari researches everything she can about seeds and growing plants then realizes someone must collect all the seeds for all sorts of plants.

In the story, at one point, the author states "two things died." Nothing is said about who or what but we see the delicia tree without Otis under it and the tree is basically gone. Around the same time, a cure for the blight is found and Kari can plant her trees. So, as the trees grow and produce the delicious fruit, we see Kari getting older then we have children gathering around the tree to listen to Kari tell stories of the time when there was only one delicia tree.

This book could be used in several ways if used in a classroom. The simple act of stories being passed down from one generation to another is as old as humankind. Children can learn and understand that so many famous stories, from the Bible to Grimm's Fairy Tales, are alive for us because people told the stories to each other.

With the research Kari does, students can see the determination and problem solving skills Kari employs to solve a problem she sees as very important. We see that this is a problem she kept wanting to solve from her youth until she is an older woman. When students read that children gather around Kari as she shares the stories of one delicia tree, we see the circle of life as Kari has now "become Otis."

There is a wonderful author's note at the end of the book in which she explains that the delicia tree is not real but that the concept of a seed bank which Kari "created" is real and exists in the Arctic area where in reality, many seeds are stored since they are kept very cold and offer the chancd for us to have the plants gain should something happen. This section also allows students to see how real something becomes in a story even though in actuality, it does not exist.

I just think there is so much this book offers beyond just being a fun, beautifully illustrated story. To be used in a classroom discussion would be so nice but for children to take home and read with their parents would be a dream.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Saving Delicia is a beautiful, heartwarming story about a little girl called Kari and her elderly friend Otis who bond over the Delicia tree. Old Otis tells Kari the story why there is only one Delicia tree left - blight (a disease) has killed all the other Delicia tree so now there's only one left for the whole village to share the fruit from it. Kari does some research at the library and makes her very own seed bank with help from her friends and the wider community. When she shows old Otis the seed ban, he's so happy but sadly passes away not long after, along with the last remaining Delicia tree. But thanks to Karis research and planning, when scientists find a cure for the disease, the seeds get planted from the old Delicia fruits that they harvested before it died and the village has many Delicia trees again.
The information at the back of the book about seed banks is fascinating and is something I'm going to look more into with my children after reading this. Such an important, heartfelt, and adorable book I'd highly recommend to all.

Kari like sitting under the Delicia tree and listening to stories from Old Otis. She wonders what would happen if her one and only Delicia tree would die. She decides to save the seeds from the last fruit of the season. Luckily she does, because before she know it, the tree dies and unfortunately Old Otis passes away too. Kari ends up starting a grove of Delicia growing for generations to enjoy!

A sweet book with an important message! I love how the back of the book talks about seed banks too.

I loved the illustrations and it was a nice story. I think I wish there would have been a little more to the story. I think it would be good for kids to help fill in blanks or for conversations with kids. But I, personally, like a little more to be told to me.

Every summer Kari sits under the shade of the Delicia tree, listening to Otis’ childhood stories. She is transported to a time when the Delicia tree was found in abundance and the juices of its fruit would run down Otis’ chin. With only one tree left, the town shares its sweet and tangy fruit. In danger of losing the tree to extinction, Kari is inspired to keep it alive. Feeling imaginative and determined, she designs a creative plan utilizing old knowledge, research, community involvement and hope and... the result is a successful one! This is a delightful story that beautifully presents a world of hope and love to young readers, at the same time delicately tapping into the hard topics of death and the danger of extinction. Gehl masterfully delivers an uplifting message that empowers and promotes action. Readers of all ages will appreciate the storytelling and creativity, but the most enriching element is discovering the positive influence of cultivating inter-generational relationships. Metola’s soft and colorful illustrations add light to Kari’s world, highlighting both nature’s beauty and that of human relationships. In the back of the book is an author’s note providing interesting information about blight disease and the function of seed banks. A sweet and highly recommended book!

What heartwarming story about a delicia tree. Love how the story unfolds. The ending adds to this already unforgettable touching story. Highly recommended.

I really enjoyed the tenderness in this book. It is about something that could go away forever, but if you care for it and love it, it may just stay. The art in this book was beautiful. It was a book that told of how generations of things can be carried on and on and on. I am so glad to find in the authors notes that the delicia fruit is not a real thing. I was going to look up the fruit and see where I could find. it. This is a good story to read to my students and work on comprehending with them.

With endearing child-like illustrations full of simple lines and brilliant color, "Saving Delicia" is a heartwarming tale about the small steps one child takes to preserve a beloved tree for future generations. When Old Otis tells Kari stories about how there came to be one last delicia tree, Kari is inspired to find a way to save the seeds and protect the beloved tree. Laura Gehl does a magnificent job of showing ecological change as a generational concept and the connections that can be made between the past and the future.

Very similar to Imogen Foxell's Maybe You Might, with illustrations in a more primary color palate and lovely back matter that teaches about seed banks and their history. A story that mnetions blight but gives hope, and shows how people and trees grow together but at different rates. Would be ideal for an Earth Day, or any other, storytime.