Dandelion Seed

• Benjamin Franklin Silver Award for Children’s Picture Book

Reminiscent of Rose Fyleman’s A Fairy Went A-Marketing and Barbara Helen Berger’s classic A Grandfather Twilight, this beautifully illustrated story is profoundly simple and wise. With very few words at all, featuring lush and brightly colored full-page pictures, this is a simple tale of change and renewal. Through the story of one last dandelion seed afraid to “let go” into the autumn winds, the themes of trust and divine will are illuminated. The cycle of ripenings, dispersal, dormancy, and eventual sprouting brings wisdom to the once-frightened little seed. Surrender leads to discovery, and trust grows like the seedling rooted in the earth. It is not until the beautifully wrought ending that we glimpse a human–a little girl blowing on a dandelion “wisher”–showing the universal through a child’s eyes.

— NAPR Review

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Dawn finds the most eloquent writers, the best storytellers, the finest illustrators. Books such as In a Nutshell and The Dandelion Seed, by Joseph Anthony and Cris Arbo, mesmerize children with their thrilling account from nature, and their breathtaking illustrations. These books are not sugar-coated. You may find yourself surprised, and impressed, by the discussions that follow reading them with your children.

— Hearthside Books (www.hearthsidebooks.com)
Morissa Lou Williams (January 2004)

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The dandelion can be seen by roadside or mountainside, in meadows and in forests, in your backyard and throughout the world. This book takes us on the journey of a dandelion seed. Explore the cycle of life as one dandelion seed begins its journey the moment it falls from the mother plant. Follow its journey through the seasons and stages of its life, until it too becomes a dandelion plant. This award-winning book has beautiful illustrations and simple text.

— Parent Line of Southern Maryland – Carla Cosner (May 2006)

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Autumn has arrived and there’s one last dandelion seed left to be carried away by the wind. The seed tries to resist, but the wind is just too strong. During its adventure in the air, the dandelion seed discovers that the world is made up of many things- some frightening, some beautiful. It takes this discovery for the seed to find out its purpose and where its roots will lie. This is a “spread your wings and fly” story with nature again serving as the great metaphor for life. Fabulous detail-oriented illustrations make this a must have.

— Children’s Literature – Sheree van Vreede

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As way too many people use toxic chemicals to rid their lawns of these plants, a beloved story about a dandelion seed is long overdue. (Dandelions are actually beneficial plants.) This is a beautiful story about a dandelion’s journey through its life, with thoughtful parallels to our human experience.

— Children of the Earth (www.childrenoftheearth.org) (April 2008)

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The Dandelion Seed is a story about a seed that is scared to let go, but the wind blows it away. It sees a lot of different things in the world and eventually lands, turns into a dandelion flower, and then casts its own seeds.

Cayden: “We have lots of dandelions around and we like to pick them and blow the seeds. It was pretty cool to see all of the places that one seed can go when it blows away! That seed went to the city, the beach, and all kinds of places! My favorite part was when the dandelion let the deer eat his leaves. I liked the pictures in the book.”

Parent’s comments:
Cayden enjoyed this book a lot as he loves all things that are nature-related. He especially could relate to the main premise of The Dandelion Seed as he and his brother blow dandelion seeds all of the time. I think that he will come up with some creative stories that next time he blows one, chronicling all of the places that it will travel! We enjoyed the illustrations throughout the book and it was really fun to go along on the seed’s journey.

— Kids Reader Views – Cayden Aures (Age 4 1/2) and Mom (May 2009)

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(three stars – highest rating)
What an impressive work I hold in my hand. This book is intended for the age range of 3-10, but even an adult will find it warmly written and easy to embrace as the story unfolds, a bit at a time, page by page…

This story walks the reader through the life of a dandelion seed. From the moment it falls from the mother plant, it begins it’s journey. The reader, as the characters in the story, wonder where it will end up next and what path it will follow, until finally it finds it’s way to where it will fall into mother earth and grow into a new life.

We then walk through it’s life cycle with it … seeing it become food to creatures of the earth and then, this one little seed, who has gone so far and become so much, becomes many more seeds and the cycle of life begins again.

This book has won numerous awards and after reading it, I can see how and why. It is beautifully illustrated and wonderfully written. A true treasure for every child and family to enjoy.

Thank You Dawn Publications, for allowing us the opportunity to review this treasure.

Check this one out for your child today. Both they and you will enjoy it.

— Education Clearinghouse – www.educationclearinghouse.org (December 2002)

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A joyous, beautiful story. Arbo’s striking and impressive illustrations jump off each page full of color and detail. This fable of the seed will be a plus in many classrooms and will make a delightful bedtime story book. . . . A must for young readers.

— C-Ville Weekly, Charlottesville, VA

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You’ll never look at a dandelion in quite the same way after reading The Dandelion Seed. Sensitive and beautifully detailed paintings enhance the simple but often poetic text.

— Medina County Gazette, Medina, Ohio

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Anthony makes magic with a pen and Arbo brings life to his words

— NBC-TV, Charlottesville, VA

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This is a simple story about a dandelion seed reluctant to leave its parent. Of course it is eventually blown away by the wind. Surprised by the hugeness of the world, the seed experiences fear, loneliness, beauty, and a sense of smallness. Covered by snow the seed rests until spring, it begins to grow, and shares itself with those around. Finally, it produces its own seeds, and once again, similar to our lives, the inexplicable cycle goes on. The soft covered, limited but significant text, is very beautifully and colorfully illustrated. The Dandelion Seed would make a nice read-aloud, could be integrated into a unit on seeds, season, or in an art project. Recommended.

— Tucson Unified Sch. Dist Library Services
Betty Liverman (March 2005)

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Simple, elegant prose and stunningly beautiful illustrations trace the life story of a little dandelion seed as it travels through the seasons and basic states of development to become a full-grown dandelion plant.

— Kid Zone (National Wildlife Federation – www.nrf.org) (April 2007)

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. . . The poor humble dandelion does not always get the credit it deserves. Anthony and Arbo have done much with a beautiful over-sized paperback to provide good information on the tenacious dandelion which provides food and color to vast fields and is a symbol of life.

A dandelion seed shakes loose as winter winds blow. It travels and eventually is covered with snow. It springs to life as winter departs. It blooms and then its seeds are blown along with the winds to continue the dandelion life cycle.

— Weatherford Daily News – Dee Ann Ray (December 24, 2010)