Wait Like a Seed
Published on 14. May 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
32 pages
978-1-77278-359-9 (ISBN)
Description
"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
Two young children watch a milkweed grow in their backyard-from seed to new buds to flowers, the lyrical text explores the lifecycle of the milkweed.
Wait like a seed,
Cozy and small.
Wait like a seed
'Til the spring rains fall.
Wait Like a Seed beautifully explores the life cycles of milkweeds and its relationship to monarch butterflies. Complete with comprehensive backmatter perfect for school curriculums, including the life cycle of plants, the life cycle of butterflies, and poetry. This book combines the wonders of nature with thoughtful text and vibrant art. Author Erin Alladin invites young gardeners to celebrate the world around them in this lyrical nonfiction text. Illustrator Tara Anderson portrays these lifecycles with a nostalgic style, effectively capturing the wonder of the aspiring gardeners.
Two young children watch a milkweed grow in their backyard-from seed to new buds to flowers, the lyrical text explores the lifecycle of the milkweed.
Wait like a seed,
Cozy and small.
Wait like a seed
'Til the spring rains fall.
Wait Like a Seed beautifully explores the life cycles of milkweeds and its relationship to monarch butterflies. Complete with comprehensive backmatter perfect for school curriculums, including the life cycle of plants, the life cycle of butterflies, and poetry. This book combines the wonders of nature with thoughtful text and vibrant art. Author Erin Alladin invites young gardeners to celebrate the world around them in this lyrical nonfiction text. Illustrator Tara Anderson portrays these lifecycles with a nostalgic style, effectively capturing the wonder of the aspiring gardeners.
Reviews / Votes
Praise for Wait Like a SeedThe Children's Book Council "Hot off the Press" April 2025 Selection
"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 is a book that can grow with your children...[and encourage them] to explore and protect the natural world around them"-The Ontario Woodlander
"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
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Toronto
Canada
Target group
Children/juvenile
US School Grade: From Kindergarten to Second Grade, Interest Age: From 4 to 8 years
Product notice
With flaps
Illustrations
Illustrations, color
Dimensions
Height: 246 mm
Width: 257 mm
Thickness: 8 mm
Weight
218 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-77278-359-9 (9781772783599)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Erin Alladin is an editor, a writer, and an ecology enthusiast who is always looking for ways to combine her passions. Born in Northern Ontario to a gardener and a forester, she spent most of her early life looking at and thinking about the natural world. As a young adult she spent nearly a decade immersed in Toronto's children's literature scene before retreating back up north, where she continues to edit while growing vegetables and writing about regenerative agriculture. Erin's debut picture book, Outside You Notice, received a starred review from Kirkus. Erin lives near Parry Sound with her wife, her garden, and not quite enough bookshelves.
A folk artist and award-winning illustrator who studied at the Ontario College of Art and Design, Tara Anderson is known for her lively and humorous illustrations of animals. Her books include the illustrated novels Harvey Comes Home, Harvey Holds His Own, and Sapphire the Great and the Meaning of Life, the holiday picture books Pumpkin Orange, Pumpkin Round and Easter Morning, Easter Sun, and the award-winning Nat the Cat Can Sleep Like That. Tara shares a farmhouse in Tweed, Ontario, with her husband, her young daughter, and several cats.
A folk artist and award-winning illustrator who studied at the Ontario College of Art and Design, Tara Anderson is known for her lively and humorous illustrations of animals. Her books include the illustrated novels Harvey Comes Home, Harvey Holds His Own, and Sapphire the Great and the Meaning of Life, the holiday picture books Pumpkin Orange, Pumpkin Round and Easter Morning, Easter Sun, and the award-winning Nat the Cat Can Sleep Like That. Tara shares a farmhouse in Tweed, Ontario, with her husband, her young daughter, and several cats.