[Monday Reading] Seeds And Trees in 2023/2024 Diverse Picturebooks

Myra here.

It’s Monday, What are You Reading is a meme hosted by Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers (new host of Monday reading: Kathryn T at Book Date).

I have always mentioned repeatedly to friends and fellow bibliophiles that ‘home is where the books are.’ Hence, the theme #ReadYourWayHome2024 seems apt. Tapping into the complexities and nuances of my cultural realities, I have broken down this larger theme to places and spaces I consider home – being born and raised in the Philippines, and having lived in Singapore for 11 years, and now in the UAE for nearly 5 years – I have come up with the additional hashtags: #SoutheastAsianLit2024, #ArabLit2024, #MiddleEasternLit2024, #TranslatedLit2024, and #DecolonizeBookshelf2024.

Seeds Of Change (Amazon)

Written by: Nina Laden Illustrated by: Sawyer Cloud Published by: Roaring Brook Press (2024)
ISBN: 9781250810076 (ISBN10: 1250810078) Borrowed via Libby. Book photos taken by me.

Narrated in rhyming text, the story essentially revolves around the adage which goes: what you sow is what you reap. As I was reading the book, I dimly recall a Filipino saying which is basically a translation of the adage I noted earlier: Kung anong tinanim, siya rin ang bunga.

It is a reminder that we can also plant seeds of hope, friendship, and compassion – and the returns will come back to us a hundredfold. Friends who have been following our website for awhile now would know that rhyming text often does not work for me – as is the case with this particular picturebook, which I am sure would resonate with other readers who may enjoy rhyme more than I do.

What I found to be especially moving about this picturebook is the illustrator’s note found at the end of the book. Sawyer Cloud is from Madagascar and she wrote about what inspired the art in this book:

The setting of Seeds Of Change was inspired by the local community around Ankarafantsika and their dedication to the land – the same dedication and love I wish we would all show the natural world around us.

Sadly, the national park around Ankarafantsika is vulnerable to poaching and bushfires – and that certain parts of the park have caught fire in recent years. Teachers and parents can use the story here as a springboard to discuss other endangered forests and lead a project that involves tree planting around the community.

Nell Plants A Tree (Amazon)

Written by Anne Wynter Illustrated by Daniel Miyares Published by Harper Collins US (2023) ISBN: 9780062865779 (ISBN10: 0062865773) Literary Award: Ezra Jack Keats Book Award for Writer (2024) Bought a copy of the book. Book photos taken by me.

I read this book last year and was amazed at the way the narrative was structured: with a before-and-after kind of rhythm that was sustained from beginning to end. While there is a poetic element to the storytelling, it never felt contrived nor forced to me. Rather, it is evocative of marvel and wonder. Paired with Daniel Miyares’ art, it becomes magic. No wonder it won an award.

The juxtaposition of Nell’s narrative and her actual descendants across the pages may be a bit confusing, though, to the not-too-savvy reader – but can be a discovery that is pointed out by one who notices the pattern to the visual elements and the codes left by Miyares to find.

What worked for me even more were the notes written by both Author and Illustrator as to what trees signify to them, especially as they were growing up and the questions that they now ask as adults. Take for instance, Anne Wynter’s ruminations here:

Even though I appreciated the trees around me, I didn’t give much thought to who planted them or when they were planted. But now I think about these questions more often: How long does it take for a tree to grow tall enough to climb? Big enough to provide shade for dozens of kids? Mature enough to produce delicious pecans?

I was moved as well by Daniel Miyares’ memories of his own grandmother mixed along with cracking pecans the right way:

The sore hands; the bitter, earthy smell of pecan dust; and the sweet pecan pie reward for our efforts all live comfortably in my mind, but to this day it’s my granny’s steadfast spirit, gentle care, and joy in the midst of hard work that I carry in my heart.

I think of all these notes found at the end of a book as bonus tales, like little added surprises at the end of a story that only serve to enrich and deepen the original story and make it even more nuanced and meaningful.

#ReadYourWayHome2024 Update: 22/23 out of target 100