Miss Maple's Seeds

K-Gr 2—Miss Maple travels all summer looking for orphaned seeds that she can shelter and nurture until the following spring. Each one is treated like a treasured child, "all similar yet none the same." She teaches them what it means to be a seed and takes them on field trips to their natural habitats. At night, they are snuggled into cozy beds. When spring arrives, she releases them back out into the world where they can root and grow into whatever they are bound to be. Her repeated mantra, "Take care, my little ones, for the world is big and you are small," is as comforting and encouraging as Miss Maple herself. Though the text veers a bit toward cloying, the whole is masterfully redeemed by its visual charm. A rich palette of warm greens, burnt oranges, and peacock blues dominates the spacious watercolor and ink illustrations, which are completely enchanting. With her broad straw hat, full skirts, and kind face, Miss Maple is the perfect embodiment of a caregiver, whether sweeping the tree house porch, floating downriver with her charges in a green leaf boat, or flying home atop one of her large blue birds. Each page is filled with broad vistas, warm breezes, woodland creatures, and other whimsical imagery that cannot help but welcome readers into Miss Maple's world. With its positive message about the value of nurturing even the tiniest bit of the natural world, this book is simply wonderful.—Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library