If You Plant a Seed
Ages: 0-7
- ★★★★★
- ★★★★☆
- ★★★★★
- ★★★★★
- Empathy
- Generosity
- Friendship
- Natural Consequences
Values
Struggles
Why Should My Child Read This Book?
A simple, sweet story about two friends who just want to plant a garden and enjoy the clear summer days while waiting for their harvest. Instead, they get a lesson in humility and friendship. Children will delight in the stunning illustrations, which bring life-like expressions to the faces of all the creatures, telling more about their internal states than the few words on each page. When we love for our brother what we love for ourselves, we will be showered in Allah’s ﷻ bounty.
Our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the wisest of all human beings, taught us that giving of ourselves never decreases our wealth, our time, our status or our possessions. This book reinforces that message—the act of giving nourishes our souls and replenishes our ability to give more. Allah’s ﷻ blessings are boundless, it is we who limit them when we draw boundaries around our ability to give.
How Can I Use This Book?
- Before reading the story ask: What happens if you plant a seed? The seeds from plants will grow into fruits and vegetables. We can also plant “seeds” with our deeds, both good and bad. The results of these seeds can grow into kindness or misery.
- Who is working together? Are the rabbit and the mouse the same size? Why would a big rabbit need the help of a small mouse? Explain how Allah ﷻ created all of us with different strengths so we can help each other.
- What do seeds need to be able to grow? Sun, water, time, and care.
- How long did it take for the seeds to grow into plants? Seeds can take a few days to a few weeks to grow into plants.
- What do you think the birds wanted? Food.
- What happened when the rabbit yelled at the birds? He planted a “seed of selfishness” which grew into something ugly: fighting, destruction and sadness. How quickly did selfishness spread?
- How was the “seed of kindness” planted? It is the small mouse who has the courage to do a big act.
- What happened when the mouse chose to share? Did anyone go hungry? No, in fact, they received even more seeds! When we give for the sake of Allah ﷻ, He gives us even more—sometimes in this world, and always in Jannah.
- What did the “seed of kindness” grow into? The start to a beneficial friendship which started with a small act of giving.
- Kindness and selfishness always grow. What kind of a world do you want to live in—one filled with kindness or one filled with selfishness? Share the following hadith with your child: “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” (Bukhari) What does Allah ﷻ want us to grow in our hearts—kindness or selfishness?
- What happened after everyone worked together? The rabbit and the mouse grew three plants on their own. But when everyone worked together, they did not just grow food—they grew a beautiful friendship and a garden of joy. Allah ﷻ grants us barakah (blessings) when we share with one another and help each other.
- Can you count the number of different animals and birds in this story? Allah ﷻ made all His creation with differences—just like people. Allah ﷻ tells us in the Quran that He “made you into peoples and tribes so that you may ˹get to˺ know one another.” (49:13)
- Learn about the lifecycle of a plant by planting a seed and watching it grow as an activity to accompany this story. Then discuss this hadith with your child: The Prophet ﷺ said, “No Muslim plants a plant or sows a crop, then a person, or a bird, or an animal eats from it, except that it will be charity for him.” (Tirmidhi). Even planting a seed can count as a good deed!
- This book is a wonderful opportunity to teach the following hadith: The Prophet ﷺ said “Say: ‘subhan Allah, wal-hamdu lillah, wa la ilaha illa Allah, wa Allahu Akbar (Glory is to Allah, praise is to Allah, none has the right to be worshiped but Allah, and Allah is the Most Great.) For each one a tree will be planted for you in Paradise.’” (Sunan Ibn Majah) Just like the animals planted seeds in the ground and watched them grow, you can plant seeds in Jannah every time you remember Allah ﷻ in this way!
- End the book by repeating its title, this time asking: What happens if you plant a seed of goodness? Every time you do something kind or say something nice, it’s like planting a little seed in your heart. The more good seeds you plant, the more beautiful your spiritual heart grows. The results of your deeds will be just like a beautiful garden, blooming with beneficial works for all those around you.
- The great scholar, Imam al-Ghazali, may Allah ﷻ have mercy on him, teaches us that we have two hearts—a physical heart that pumps our blood and a spiritual heart that captures our deeds. The spiritual heart grows brighter every time we choose goodness. To visualize the effects of good deeds on our spiritual hearts, cut out a large heart from cardstock and put it up on the wall. Every time your child does a good deed—like sharing, helping, cleaning up, saying “bismillah,” or using kind words—they can add a sticker, gem, or drawing to their heart. This simple, hands-on project helps young children understand that their spiritual hearts grow more beautiful with good deeds day by day, week by week, and season by season.
- Planting seeds is like the work we do in life: we try our best, we wait patiently and we leave the results to Allah ﷻ. Just like that, we work hard to do good deeds in this world, so that one day we can see the fruits of our deeds in the next life, insha’Allah.
What’s This Book About?
A resonant, gently humorous story about the power of even the smallest actions and the rewards of compassion and generosity.
With spare text and breathtaking oil paintings, If You Plant a Seed demonstrates not only the process of planting and growing for young children but also how a seed of kindness can bear sweet fruit.
Anything I need to be aware of?
No Flags!Genres: General Fiction, Humor
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
*This review applies only to ISBN number noted above.
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