If You Hold a Seed
Much like Julie Fogliano’s And Then It’s Spring (2012), this story is about a boy who discovers the magic of a seed when he plants it in the ground. But first it takes some sun and rain and plenty of waiting . . . and then some more waiting. Little by little, the boy notices buds and tender leaves on a sprouting tree, and a host of insects that make their home in the new growth. As the quiet story cycles through the seasons and the passing years—and the continual waiting—both the boy and tree grow bigger, until the tree is strong enough to hold the boy, and the boy holds one of the tree’s seeds, ready to start the magic again. Although the text is less inventive than Fogliano’s, the magic of this debut picture book rests in MacKay’s diorama-style illustrations. Layered cutouts made from a variety of papers, including semitranslucent Yupo paper, allow soft, warm light to filter through and create luminous, sunlit scenes. Just the right antidote for The Giving Tree. Preschool-Grade 2. --Angela Leeper