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Seeds and Trees
Words are powerful. They can hurt or they can heal.
It’s time to tell a special tale that will warm the hearts of readers of all ages. Seeds and Trees revels in the power of words. It explores their effects on feelings and emotions. And it does so though the journey of two different seeds.
In Seeds and Trees, discover a young prince who gathers seeds both green and dark from those he encounters, and then gifts them forward. He faithfully plants and waters all those seeds daily, but comes to realise that the dark trees harm the green ones. With the help of a kind friend he discovers he can cut down, uproot, and then replace those dark trees with green seeds, creating a beautiful vibrant garden.
The best book for raising confident children
Seeds and Trees carries the key message of love and positivity supported by the many advocates of positive parenting solutions. It’ll sit comfortably on your shelf alongside other books that focus in on emotions. Like the work of Laurie Wright (I Can Handle It), Maria Dismondy (Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun) and Carol McCloud (Have You Filled a Bucket Today?). Seeds and Trees will help encourage your children to offer kindness towards themselves and others.
Searching for bullying books for children?
Bullying is an unfortunate fact of life, be it in our schools, at the playground or even in the workplace. Seeds and Trees offers a supportive approach for families, educators and children struggling to manage a bullying situation. It’s approach to positive thinking for children will help them face difficult situations with confidence in themselves. Author Brandon Walden was inspired by the acclaimed work of Dr. Brené Brown (The Gifts of Imperfection, Braving the Wilderness, and others) and Dr. Caroline Leaf (Switch on Your Brain) on the power of words in our daily lives.
He had one special friend who always spoke true,
words filled with candor as good friends will do.
She never spoke harshly and never spoke lies.
She always spoke lovingly; with gentle replies.
Grow Your Own Green Garden
All of us have received bad seeds throughout our life. However, it is our sincere hope that the words and beautiful illustrations in Seeds and Trees will guide you to and through a process that will bring you hope, encouragement and freedom. We believe words are powerful. They can hurt or they can heal.
Be careful what you water, for it will surely grow.36 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 2, 2018
394 people are currently reading
604 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
October 18, 2019
UPDATE....
Rather than delete my account - I’ll simply be consider more inactive.
My old reviews will remain.
I’ll rate books - not review.
Thank you for the bearing with me — it’s taken a couple of days to come up with a win-win solution. 💕
MESSAGE TO MY FRIENDS AND GOODREADS;
My message is simple. I want to thank the friends I’ve made on this site.
Goodreads and this community has been an invaluable part of my life journey.
I have been blessed do you know you!
I’ll stay around this week and leave officially Friday, Oct. 18th.
About this book:
Powerful story - wise messages - and gorgeous illustrations!
“Each seed was a word that someone had spoken.
Each seed was collected, a trinket, a token”
Rather than delete my account - I’ll simply be consider more inactive.
My old reviews will remain.
I’ll rate books - not review.
Thank you for the bearing with me — it’s taken a couple of days to come up with a win-win solution. 💕
MESSAGE TO MY FRIENDS AND GOODREADS;
My message is simple. I want to thank the friends I’ve made on this site.
Goodreads and this community has been an invaluable part of my life journey.
I have been blessed do you know you!
I’ll stay around this week and leave officially Friday, Oct. 18th.
About this book:
Powerful story - wise messages - and gorgeous illustrations!
“Each seed was a word that someone had spoken.
Each seed was collected, a trinket, a token”
November 23, 2020
Seeds and Trees by Brandon Walden is a super cute illustrated story.
I absolutely love the main title page - the flowers, thorns and bird are absolutely stunning. The art style felt unique yet beautiful, which is something I crave in picture books. I love seeing different art styles that connect with the story.
An added touch was the letter from the author at the beginning. As a child, I probably would have skipped by it and not cared in the least, but as an adult I like reading into the mind of the author. Seeing the reasons behind the story is always a little pleasure of mine!
The story itself worked well with the art style. The contrasting There was a bit of a rhyming scheme at certain points of the story, but it didn't feel super forced.
The theme and story itself tells a really important tale about positive vibes. I definitely think this book would be a great read for parents to bond with their children or for a school to pick up. I could see young classrooms picking this story apart and telling great tales!
Five out of five stars!
I found this book for free on BookBub.
I absolutely love the main title page - the flowers, thorns and bird are absolutely stunning. The art style felt unique yet beautiful, which is something I crave in picture books. I love seeing different art styles that connect with the story.
An added touch was the letter from the author at the beginning. As a child, I probably would have skipped by it and not cared in the least, but as an adult I like reading into the mind of the author. Seeing the reasons behind the story is always a little pleasure of mine!
The story itself worked well with the art style. The contrasting There was a bit of a rhyming scheme at certain points of the story, but it didn't feel super forced.
The theme and story itself tells a really important tale about positive vibes. I definitely think this book would be a great read for parents to bond with their children or for a school to pick up. I could see young classrooms picking this story apart and telling great tales!
Five out of five stars!
I found this book for free on BookBub.
October 26, 2019
This story is a good reminder to people of all ages. Words are powerful--- they can do both good and harm.
Brandon & Stephanie Walden founded https://thetreasuredtree.com/. The Treasured Tree is a collaborative group of content creators with the sole focus of encouraging the hearts of children and children at heart. We do this through various forms of media like children's books, compelling video illustrations, peer to peer content and social experiments.
I plan to support Brandon and Stephanie in their efforts. What a great book. (Pretty pictures and rhyming too!!)
5 stars
Brandon & Stephanie Walden founded https://thetreasuredtree.com/. The Treasured Tree is a collaborative group of content creators with the sole focus of encouraging the hearts of children and children at heart. We do this through various forms of media like children's books, compelling video illustrations, peer to peer content and social experiments.
I plan to support Brandon and Stephanie in their efforts. What a great book. (Pretty pictures and rhyming too!!)
5 stars
June 9, 2018
This book has a nice lyrical quality to it. The illustrations are magical, and I think are superior to the story. I felt like some of the vocabulary was a little out of reach for small children, so I'm not quite sure who the intended audience would be for the book.
September 19, 2018
I found the lyrical rhythm to be appealing, as well as the illustrations. I do not think this story would be interesting for young kids, they definitely would get lost and fast, but for my 5th graders it is definitely going to be a story we read and discuss.
November 7, 2018
Seeds and Trees - I liked it, I liked the concept, the idea and the lesson to be learned. I can't see it being a book that would be popular with children as it's very deep and something that often adults don't understand - the power of the spoken word or once a word is spoken, it cannot be taken back.
Scripture talks about the tongue being a two-edged sword. Jesus said that, with it, we bless people and we curse people. 'The tongue can be like a two-edged sword when words are hurtful, degrading, dishonest, or slanderous. A two-edged sword cuts both ways and the swordsmen of bible times kept them very sharp' is a quote taken from an internet search.
This book, if or when read to children, would be more of a teaching device where the parent could use it to help the child understand the danger of using their words indiscriminately when talking to their siblings or other children in their school environment. I think it would be appropriate for children from ages 7 and up with the understanding that younger children would need guidance to understand; however I doubt that most children would ask to have this book read to them.
Scripture talks about the tongue being a two-edged sword. Jesus said that, with it, we bless people and we curse people. 'The tongue can be like a two-edged sword when words are hurtful, degrading, dishonest, or slanderous. A two-edged sword cuts both ways and the swordsmen of bible times kept them very sharp' is a quote taken from an internet search.
This book, if or when read to children, would be more of a teaching device where the parent could use it to help the child understand the danger of using their words indiscriminately when talking to their siblings or other children in their school environment. I think it would be appropriate for children from ages 7 and up with the understanding that younger children would need guidance to understand; however I doubt that most children would ask to have this book read to them.
December 28, 2019
Good message, some lovely illustrations but the prose needed an editor. Rhyming couplets maybe? Sometimes? It was inconsistent and the rhymes weren’t great, ultimately distracting from what could be a good story, although moralistic. Might work better in more of a folk tale style.
August 26, 2024
چقدر بینظیر چقدر باشکوه…
کلمههایی که استفاده میکنیم چقدر میتونن تأثیرگذار باشن،
اینکه اگر سرمون و قلبمون پر از سیاهی شد باید از متخصص دلسوز کمک بگیریم، اینکه امید داشته باشیم تلخیهای گذشته هر چقدر هم ریشه کرده باشن باز با روش و ابزار درست میشه کنده بشن و دور انداخته بشن، اینکه اصلا از ابتدا حرفهای زشت رو نباید جدی گرفت و پرورش داد و باید به دست فراموشی بسپری و بندازی تو آب روون!
وای بسیار لذتبخش بود
کلمههایی که استفاده میکنیم چقدر میتونن تأثیرگذار باشن،
اینکه اگر سرمون و قلبمون پر از سیاهی شد باید از متخصص دلسوز کمک بگیریم، اینکه امید داشته باشیم تلخیهای گذشته هر چقدر هم ریشه کرده باشن باز با روش و ابزار درست میشه کنده بشن و دور انداخته بشن، اینکه اصلا از ابتدا حرفهای زشت رو نباید جدی گرفت و پرورش داد و باید به دست فراموشی بسپری و بندازی تو آب روون!
وای بسیار لذتبخش بود
March 3, 2024
تصویرهاش زیبا بود و داستانش هم. فقط کاش پای اون شاهزاده خانمه باز نمیشد و خود شاهزاده مشکل رو حل میکرد، من اونطوری بیشتر میپسندیدم.
فونت نوشتهها هم باعث شده بود که کیفیت چاپ کتاب کمی پایین به نظر برسه... یا شاید اندازهش؟ نمیدونم. میتونست بهتر باشه.
فونت نوشتهها هم باعث شده بود که کیفیت چاپ کتاب کمی پایین به نظر برسه... یا شاید اندازهش؟ نمیدونم. میتونست بهتر باشه.
July 10, 2022
Loved it! Beautiful illustrations! I wasn’t prepared for the deep meaning. What a powerful message told with beautiful symbolism. I think all teachers should read this, and all students could benefit from a lesson about the power of words.
November 7, 2018
I really enjoyed this adorable children's book! The illustrations were beautiful and the message was clear to an adult reader. It seems an easy way to introduce the concept of giving life to positive thoughts and feelings rather than fueling negative ones. It definitely can start a conversation between a child and parent/caregiver!
June 9, 2018
Wonderful message!!
I loved reading this to my kids. It has a great message and they loved the story. The artwork was beautiful. This is one book I will gift everyone, because it can be enjoyed by kids, teens, and adults. Also, it is a perfect teacher gift.
I loved reading this to my kids. It has a great message and they loved the story. The artwork was beautiful. This is one book I will gift everyone, because it can be enjoyed by kids, teens, and adults. Also, it is a perfect teacher gift.
November 7, 2018
It's a great concept with lovely illustrations, an important lesson and a simple yet elegant metaphor. The writing could use a little editing, but it's certainly good enough to carry the message and the story is entertaining.
January 26, 2019
Thoughtful, worth reading and discussing
I love the imagery of the seeds spoken by people and the trees they grow. The story is well-written with so many opportunities for discussion.
I love the imagery of the seeds spoken by people and the trees they grow. The story is well-written with so many opportunities for discussion.
November 15, 2018
An absolutely gorgeous combination of poetry and artwork, making a point worth considering at any age.
February 16, 2021
In a land close to the castle, "Seeds and Trees" is about a prince who set out to plant and grow seeds that would grow into trees. These were not ordinary seeds; a spoken word represented each seed. Some of the seeds were green and, just as kind words can spread goodness and peace, they formed into lush and vibrant trees. The other seeds were dark and unpleasant, just as foul words promote hatefulness, they were thorny, spikey grotesque growths. The green trees, of course, were an emblem of harmony, kindness, and friendship, while the dark trees were a reminder of misery, nastiness, and hate. The green trees were, of course, a symbol of harmony, kindness, and friendship, while the dark trees were a reminder of misery, nastiness, and hate. The prince's friend advised him to plant only the green seeds she was carrying in her shoulder bag. Together, by cutting down the wicked trees and tossing the dark seeds into the sea, they can turn the field into a wonderful place. In addition to its most repulsive, the illustrations offer visual representations of nature with the most appealing gifts. I thought this story was a beautiful way of showing children the meaning of the kind of words they use. Harsh words can lead to hurt, bullying, and good relationships being ruined. This book also has plenty of material for a variety of behavioral conversations and healthy, strong relationships with peers and adults to build.
January 14, 2021
Perfect! Touched my heart!
November 6, 2020
from the story itself, to the way it was written, the illustrations, the message, and the dedication in the beginning of the book..all of it — beautiful!
to not only appreciate people in our lives who give us green seeds and help us take out the dark trees, but to be someone who generously and bravely gives green seeds and helps others with their seeds and trees.
“she never spoke harshly and never spoke lies.
she always spoke lovingly, with gentle replies.
she always gave green seeds and never took back.
she never ran out. there was never a lack.”
to not only appreciate people in our lives who give us green seeds and help us take out the dark trees, but to be someone who generously and bravely gives green seeds and helps others with their seeds and trees.
“she never spoke harshly and never spoke lies.
she always spoke lovingly, with gentle replies.
she always gave green seeds and never took back.
she never ran out. there was never a lack.”
November 11, 2018
This book features a young prince as the protagonist. He lives in a castle by the sea. Every day he goes out to collect seeds. The prince soon realizes that some of these seeds become dark seeds, while others remain green. As the trees he plants grow, the dark seeds develop thistles and thorns. The green seeds blossom into beautiful shade trees. The reader comes to understand that the green seeds represent good words that are beautiful and true, while the dark seeds represent harmful, cruel words. As the prince becomes older, he notices that the dark trees are overshadowing the others. One day he meets a young girl who always speaks true and kind words. She carries with her the tools to remove the dark trees. She helps him take care of and nourish the green trees while removing the dark trees.
This tale is a beautiful way to teach children the importance of the type of words they use. Harsh words lead to hurt, bullying, and the destruction of good relationships. I would highly recommend this book to parents and teachers of children in elementary and middle school. It provides lots of material for a variety of discussions on behavior and developing good, strong relationships with peers and adults. The illustrations complement the text beautifully.
This tale is a beautiful way to teach children the importance of the type of words they use. Harsh words lead to hurt, bullying, and the destruction of good relationships. I would highly recommend this book to parents and teachers of children in elementary and middle school. It provides lots of material for a variety of discussions on behavior and developing good, strong relationships with peers and adults. The illustrations complement the text beautifully.
November 29, 2018
I've always loved fairy tales and nature, so when I saw this book I was instantly drawn in. It wasn't what I quite expected but I really enjoyed it. It is the tale of how for each kind word spoken to him he gets a green seed but for every unkind word spoken to him he gets a dark seed. Then he tends and cares for all his seeds and trees as they grow bigger. However, soon the dark trees begin to overtake the land, killing the green seeds. Until one day someone comes and shows the prince that its okay to get rid of the dark trees and not plant the dark seeds. After he fixes the garden, ridding it of all the dark trees and seeds, leaving only strong healthy green trees; he ventures off with his new gifted trees to rid the rest of world of dark trees and seeds. The book offers wonderful symbolism for emotion and internal conflict. I think this would be a wonderful book to teacher symbolism in a literature class, bullying and kindness in a friendship class, or emotions in maybe a science class for middle to upper grade elementary school students. I will definitely be using this book in the future.
October 16, 2019
I really like the moral of this story. I realized at a young age the power of words. A lesson I never forgot. Everyone knows kids can be careless with what they say, so I like the idea of a book, at the very least, planting the seed that you should be careful with what you say.
I thought the way the author used "seeds" to get his point across was very creative. The illustrations were very nice as well. I did have a problem with the wording a bit. It was, for me, a little repetitive and I found the rhyming to be a bit off too. The reading level is a little high for littler kids, but I think it should be read together anyway to really explain what it's about.
I thought the way the author used "seeds" to get his point across was very creative. The illustrations were very nice as well. I did have a problem with the wording a bit. It was, for me, a little repetitive and I found the rhyming to be a bit off too. The reading level is a little high for littler kids, but I think it should be read together anyway to really explain what it's about.
June 27, 2018
What a beautiful book with a wonderful message on the power of words! We always have a choice—we can speak life-giving, healing words, or we can speak words that are dark and full of death. We also have a choice of what we do with the words (seeds) that are spoken (given) to us. We can nurture the good ones or the bad ones, but we must be careful, because as the author points out—whatever we water will surely grow! This is a great little story to share with your children—read it to them, and discuss the power that our words have. I highly recommend this book!
June 13, 2019
Excellent message
What a wonderful book with a great message. I very much enjoyed the read and pictures. Although I will say it was a bit of a challenge for my son (who reads on a 3rd grade level) to read and keep up with the verse. He had to reread a few several times to understand, but we encourage rereading for understanding. So that wasn’t a huge deal. Overall wonderful! It brought out great discussion.
What a wonderful book with a great message. I very much enjoyed the read and pictures. Although I will say it was a bit of a challenge for my son (who reads on a 3rd grade level) to read and keep up with the verse. He had to reread a few several times to understand, but we encourage rereading for understanding. So that wasn’t a huge deal. Overall wonderful! It brought out great discussion.
June 6, 2018
Great message
I’m not sure if this book is really geared for a younger child but it has a great message and will spark wonderful conversations between kids and parents. It is a great analogy about how we let negative things people say choke out the good things in our life. Well done!
I’m not sure if this book is really geared for a younger child but it has a great message and will spark wonderful conversations between kids and parents. It is a great analogy about how we let negative things people say choke out the good things in our life. Well done!
November 23, 2018
Publish Date:2018
This was a really sweet poem book that spoke of being kind to yourself and others. I think this book would be helpful in the classroom, because it promotes positivity and kindness, I think it would be great to use if there were bullying happening in the classroom. This book would be great for parents as well, as it's message is to encourage your children, not put them down.
This was a really sweet poem book that spoke of being kind to yourself and others. I think this book would be helpful in the classroom, because it promotes positivity and kindness, I think it would be great to use if there were bullying happening in the classroom. This book would be great for parents as well, as it's message is to encourage your children, not put them down.
April 3, 2019
actual rating 3.5
this book was a beautiful metaphor, but i'm not sure it would work with a large group of young children. definitely a great book to read to elementary students about how the words they say can affect their friends and classmates beyond what they can see.
the illustrations are lovely! :)
this book was a beautiful metaphor, but i'm not sure it would work with a large group of young children. definitely a great book to read to elementary students about how the words they say can affect their friends and classmates beyond what they can see.
the illustrations are lovely! :)
June 11, 2019
Wonderful children's book
An imaginative and engaging story for children of all ages that teaches them the importance and lasting impact of words. Full of breathtaking illustrations, and a fun rhyming tale about a young price who sows every seed that he is given, the good with the bad, and what happens as a result. A wonderful book, highly recommended!
An imaginative and engaging story for children of all ages that teaches them the importance and lasting impact of words. Full of breathtaking illustrations, and a fun rhyming tale about a young price who sows every seed that he is given, the good with the bad, and what happens as a result. A wonderful book, highly recommended!
June 13, 2019
Beautiful artwork
This book has beautiful artwork and a lovely message. The reason for four stars rather than five is that I couldn't quite work out whether this was a rhyming book or a story book it seemed to dip in and out of both, that said I enjoyed the story behind it rhyming or not.
This book has beautiful artwork and a lovely message. The reason for four stars rather than five is that I couldn't quite work out whether this was a rhyming book or a story book it seemed to dip in and out of both, that said I enjoyed the story behind it rhyming or not.
November 8, 2018
Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!
Wow! What a story! It teaches you to love yourself and ignore that negativity that makes you loathe your inner being. The illustrations are spot on. This is a good read for all ages.
Wow! What a story! It teaches you to love yourself and ignore that negativity that makes you loathe your inner being. The illustrations are spot on. This is a good read for all ages.
November 13, 2018
Lovely Story
A really beautifully illustrated book with such a good and simple message at its heart. This is a great way to open the conversation with children, about how they can impact on the world and people around them.
A really beautifully illustrated book with such a good and simple message at its heart. This is a great way to open the conversation with children, about how they can impact on the world and people around them.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews