As of the writing of this review for Little Seed by Benson Shum, I have read six of their books, with the except of Holly’s Day at the Pool, and Alex’s Good Fortune written and illustrated by Shum; Go to Sheep and Hide ‘n’ Sheep by Jennifer Sattler (illustrated by Shum) or Sloth Went by Adam Lehrhaupt (illustrated by Shum). And while looking at what I needed to/had read I realized they are the author/illustrator of First Night of Howlergarten, which I really liked but had forgotten was theirs! (Oops sorry!)
And though Little Seed has been out for over a year now (February 2022), I read via an online reader copy, that is said to be a board book. Which would be a perfect size for this book (as long as it is not too small). The story is quick, Little Seed wants to hug the world, even though their arms are too short. But of course, they find a way with a little help from a special person. There is no overall big honking message (except if someone does not want to be hugged, you don’t, and you give them space). Everything is sweet that it can be a little sappy, but not overly sugary (most of the time).
The artwork captures the earthly elements of the story, the images of Mama Earth give off a Te Fiti of Moana’s Disney movie vibe. And it is a spiritual tone, and the images give that off as well. Especially the end when Little Seed makes a flower for their bed.
