A cheerful book about the patience it takes to grow a seed into a tree

One day, when a boy sees his dad cut an avocado in half, he decides to plant the fruit’s seed and grow it into … an avocado tree! One glass of water, two careful hands, and three pointy toothpicks later, it’s time to wait … and wait … and wait … for it to grow.

At long last, the boy and his faithful pet cat see one root, two roots, three roots emerge! Three scoops of soil, three sprinkles of water, and a lot more waiting … lead to one sturdy stem, two clapping hands, and three grateful cheers. The avocado tree starts to appear! One, two, and three years later, the tree grows taller still.

This charming story, now in paperback, is told with lots of rhythm and repetition, paired with playful illustrations full of funny details about the trials of coaxing a seed into a plant. Readers will come away with a sense that the struggle to be patient and stick it out can be worthwhile, even when a result seems impossibly far away.

ANNIKA DUNKLEE was born in Uppsala, Sweden, to a Scottish father and a Swedish mother. She is the award-winning author of many books, including My Name Is Elizabeth!, Me, Too! and Me, Me, Me. When she’s not writing, she’s busy eating cheese. She currently resides in Toronto, Ontario with her husband, two teens, a puppy and a cockatiel.

Annika Dunklee's profile page

CAREY SOOKOCHEFF is the illustrator of the critically acclaimed Buddy and Earl series, Sprout, Seed, Sprout! and What Happens Next. She is also the author/illustrator of Solutions for Cold Feet and Other Little Problems and Wet. She loves all kinds of stories, except for scary ones. She lives in Toronto with her family and their dog Rosie.

Carey Sookocheff's profile page

"You don't even have to leave home to become a gardener as readers will discover in Annika Dunklee's very perky picture book...wonderfully simple but engaging."

The Globe and Mail

"This quiet book effectively describes the meditative, sometimes-frustrating process that growing a plant entails."

Kirkus Reviews

"With its subtle repetition of words and its focus on the concepts of one, two, and three, this is a delightful teaching book for young children who love nature."

School Library Journal

"Sprout, Seed, Sprout! is a wonderful book for spring as gardening and greenery are on everybody’s radar."

Canadian Review of Materials