LITTLE SEEDS OF PROMISE

Maya misses her original home, a place where she can find mosques and monsoons and—most importantly—her grandmother, who always smells like flowers.

Before Maya left, Nani gave her a gift of seeds, urging Maya to “bloom where you are planted.” Maya now lives in a place where she is lonely and feels different from all the other children. At first, Maya thinks she’ll never find the right soil for her seeds—just like she feels as though she will never belong. Finally, she decides to plant just one, just to see what might happen. In the following days, she also tentatively begins friendships with a few classmates. As she waits for growth—and, in parallel, for her new friendships to blossom—she remembers that Nani told her that seeds take time, and that change, like plant growth, requires patience. This book’s story is driven just as much by its gentle, detailed illustrations, whose smudged edges and light palette create a gentle, reassuring atmosphere, as by its text. The central metaphor is mostly successful, and the lyrical story about learning to belong is one that feels hopeful and familiar. Pictures and text suggest her former home is in South Asia and her new one is in North America.

A sweet and accessible picture book about the patience it takes to make a place home.