Wait Like a Seed

Praise for Wait Like a Seed

The Children's Book Council "Hot off the Press" April 2025 Selection

GREEN EARTH BOOK AWARD – 2026 SHORT LIST

CCBC Best Books for Kids and Teens Spring 2026 Selection – Picture Books 

• “Alladin draws parallels between children and a growing milkweed plant in this sweet nature story….The back matter is extensive, with illustrated spreads devoted to the life cycles of milkweed and monarch butterflies, “fascinating facts,” information on the monarchs’ migration, and a glossary.”—Booklist(★★★★★)
• “Of the many titles available on milkweeds and monarchs, this is one of the most accessible for youngsters reading on their own....while older readers and adults will appreciate the extensive backmatter....Useful and enlightening—and certain to have youngsters observing the natural world with wonder.”—Kirkus Reviews(★★★★★)
• “Declarative second-person verse and friendly renderings combine for an effect that communicates guidance about growing up as much as about cultivating plants….Science-focused back matter includes life cycle information, a glossary, and further facts.”—Publishers Weekly (★★★★★)
• “Wait Like a Seed tells a story about milkweed and the life cycle of monarch butterflies to impart valuable lessons to young readers.”—Bay Today (★★★★★)
• “Wait Like a Seed isn’t just a lesson about ecosystem life cycles. It’s also a life lesson about the importance of feeling connected to the life around us.”—705 Black Fly(★★★★★)
• “It tells its own story of imaginative and educational play, helping children to grow in their own way.”—CanLit for Little Canadians
• “A seed is patient. It waits for the spring rains to sprout, grow, and then bloom. Be like a seed. Grow sturdy roots, Sprout up high. Smile like a flower. Hold like a pod. Pop out your own seeds to fly to new places. This gentle rhyming story has soft illustrations that compare the reader to the seed, and the possibilities a seed holds. End pages show the life cycle of a milkweed plant from seed until the plant releases its own seeds. It also shows the life cycle of monarch butterflies, which are dependent on the milkweed plants. Further information about this connection is included as well as a glossary, bibliography, and website list.” ––Puget Sound Council for Reviewing Children's and Young Adult Literature
• “Wait Like a Seed mixes poetry and the life cycle of a Milkweed plant to both teach and inspire young readers. I like that on the side with text, there is a simplified image of the plant and what part is being described, and on the next page is a lovely illustration of children interacting with nature and observing the growing plant. The backmatter provides valuable information on the life cycle of a milkweed plant and a Monarch butterfly, and the facts about Monarch butterflies enhance the learning value of the book.”––YA Books Central 
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• Commended for The Children’s Book Council 2025 (United States)
• Short-listed for GREEN EARTH BOOK AWARD 2026