Little Seed

by Benson Shum

Meet a little seed with a very big heart in this imaginative board book about how to hug and love our very big world.

Little Seed has a very big figure out how to hug the whole world.

So with a loving nudge from Mama Earth, Little Seed sets out on an adventure to meet and learn different ways to hug and love each new friend. But how do you hug a panda who’s as soft as a cloud? And how do you hug a whale who’s as big as a mountain?

This adorable board book is perfect for teaching little ones how and why it’s important to find different ways to show our love. A sweet reminder that we all have the power to bring more love and light into the world, this loving story proves that all we need to do is take it one hug at time, just like Little Seed.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Love, Nature, Storytime, Gardening

32 pages, Board Book

Published February 22, 2022

About the author

Benson Shum is a children's book Author and Illustrator. The idea that an image or painting can evoke emotions and movement is what brought Benson to the world of picture books and animation.

Benson is also an Animator at the Walt Disney Animation Studios, where he was a part of such films as Frozen, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, Moana, Frozen 2, Raya and the Last Dragon, Encanto and Wish. Originally from Vancouver, BC, Benson now lives in sunny southern California.

Reviews

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Precious, adorable, tiny Little Seed just wants to hug the whole world...but it's difficult when one's arms are so short and everyone has different hugging needs.

I deeply appreciate that Little Seed gives space to those who do not want hugs.

[Ronan Crutchfield]

It was so fun to learn about lots of ways to give hugs!

[Lindsay Bonilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little Seed is absolutely adorable! Children will love the heart-warming, brightly-colored illustrations in this book that is all about Little Seed’s mission to spread love despite being small. An important message for our times and a great reminder for our little ones that the love they give to the world has a big impact. Young readers will enjoy Little Seed’s creative ways to hug different creatures. But my favorite page may just be the one with the armadillo – where Little Seed refrains from giving a hug to this creature that just wants to be alone. This is a great way to show kids how to respect boundaries. And that giving someone space is also a form of love. Another winner from Benson Shum!

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute little book about love, and the many ways it can be shown.

[Fiona Halliday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, this board book is just adorable! It is from Disney animator and author/illustrator of the SLJ starred "Anzu, the Great Kaiju," Bensom Shum.

With magnificent, colourful lightness, Shum conjures up the sweetest duo - a tiny new seed, bursting with hope and a magnificent Mother Earth, with long, beautiful tresses of flowing green. Little Seed wants to hug everything and everyone, though her arms are just tiny wee shoots. From mountainous whale to twinkling wee firefly, she dances, soars, snuggles, wiggles and hugs her way effortlessly from spread to spread.

The message is simple and sweet, the language is perfectly pitched for wee ones, full of alliterative assonance: "snuggles, nuzzles, cuddles, tickles, wiggles, giggles." The book is, itself, a hug. The perfect bedtime snuggle story.

It's love. Nothing more, nothing less.

[Carmela Coyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little Seed is filled with the reassurance that love and comfort is as certain as day and night. A very young green seed, aptly named, Little Seed, wishes to spread love all across the globe, with a little help from Mama Earth. As they spy various baby creatures, Little Seeds asks a question, “How do you hug a panda?”, for example. A love-affirming answer always follows. Midway there’s a super charming spread, “How do you hug an armadillo who wants to be alone?” A page turn reveals the perfect, heartfelt answer, proving that there is more than one way to hug a new friend. Little Seed board book is sure to quickly become a favorite for before nap and bedtime. Author/illustrator Benson Shum, has created a memorable, joyful character in Little Seed.

[Helen Wu · Rating 5 out of 5]

An chanting and magical book exploring the world and showing different ways to love. In a journey that Little Seed explores with Mama Earth, Little Seed eagerly wants to figure out how to hug the whole world, so it sets out on an adventure to meet new friends and learn different ways to hug, from soft panda, to giant whale, to twinkling firefly, and many more animals. Benson Shum's chanting and sweet art perfectly portraits this journey of love and friendship. Highly recommend!

[Carol Gordon Ekster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of emotion and sweetness, this is a lovely read aloud to little ones. Little Seed learns from Mama Earth, that just because Little Seed's arms are small, he has a big heart. Little Seed sets out to shower his love to the world with creative hugs. Colorful illustrations add much to the story. Delightful!

[Naz Kutub · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hug book that's super respectful and teaches kids about boundaries at the same time.

Perfect for parents to talk about how important hugs can be!

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for reading aloud and snuggling. Thoughtful, warm-hearted, and a little giggly.

Library copy

[Neha Thakkar · Rating 4 out of 5]

How do you hug the world? This book is a sweet lap book, to be shared with a child and hugged at every page (or not!). ❤️

Would be a great baby shower gift.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet board book with a loving message. I especially appreciated the consent message built in (see the armadillo)! Pair with Earth Day sets, motherly love sets, or books about consent and supporting friends. Would be a good pairing with Can I Give You a Squish? & The Rabbit Listened.

[Baby Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Hello, friends! Our book today is Little Seed by Benson Shum, a sweet board book about sharing snuggles.

Every morning, Little Seed wakes to a great big hug from Mama Earth. While Little Seed loves hugs and wants to hug the whole world, they lament that their arms are too small for such a task. Mama Earth reassures them that while Little Seed’s arms are small, their heart is big. Seeing friends in need of comfort, Little Seed heads out to give hugs, always being respectful of what kind of hugs his friends enjoy. At last, they settle in with Mama Earth again, and she asks how Little Seed will hug tomorrow. “With all my heart”, they reply.

Adorable and considerate. Little Seed’s hugging partners – mostly baby animals just as adorable as they are – present precious riddles, like how one should hug a panda, for instance. Each solution is fun and endearingly illustrated, and the characters of Little Seed and the dark-skinned, flora-winged Mama Earth are particularly lovely. I especially loved that Little Seed’s hugs varied to respect his friends’ preferences, such as slowly and gently hugging timid Lion Cub or forgoing a hug entirely and respecting Armadillo’s space. This sets a great example for young bookworms on bodily autonomy, both in open expression of one’s comfort with touch and being respectful of others’ touch preferences. The length is perfect for a quick storytime, and JJ really enjoyed this one. A great little board book with a lot of a heart and some great lessons, and we highly recommend it. Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Erin Buhr · Rating 5 out of 5]

LITTLE SEED is an adorable board book. On it's surface, this looks like an Earth day or Spring time book, but really it is a book about how everyone needs to be loved in different ways. Little Seed goes off to love everyone from a quiet and shy lion to a curious elephant to an armadillo who just wants to be left alone. Everyone needs something unique. The illustrations are simply darling. The text has one or two sentences per page and a nice repetitive structure in the middle that's great for toddlers and young preschoolers. This is a really sweet board book for any day of the year.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is so much love in this beautiful and sweet story written and illustrated by Benson Shum. Little Seed (who is absolutely adorable) may have small arms, but its heart is big. As Mama Earth flies around the world, Little Seed knows exactly how to spread love: a personalized hug for each new friend. A cuddle and a snuggle for the soft panda. A nuzzle for the shy lion. This is the perfect story to read when snuggling and nuzzling with your own little ones.

[Lynn B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

In LITTLE SEED, by Benson Shum, Mother Earth gives Little Seed “a great big hug to show her love.” In turn, Little Seed wants to hug the whole world, but his arms are too small. So, instead, Little Seed learns how to perfectly hug panda, lion cub, elephant, octopus whale, and others—though, wisely and respectfully, not “an armadillo who wants to be alone.” This sweet board book, with its cheerful cartoony (in the best way) illustrations, is perfect for preschoolers.

[Andrés · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm pretty hippy-dippy, the intro and outro were a little too hippy dippy even for me, and the end "with all my heart" felt a little trite and cliche. The content in the middle was good: different friends have different needs, and you can show care in different ways, including not hugging. I just never bought into why this globe-trotting seed was the main character. Totally thought this was going to be a science-y book about growing.

[Skylaar Amann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This adorable board book is filled with tender moments that feel perfect for young children sharing a reading moment with a parent. The art and words are deceptively simple (a hard task to pull off and well done here), carrying kindness and subtle learning. The armadillo page had me in my feels! So sweet, and cute illustrations.

[Adriana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super sweet, super loving picture book. If you need something oozing with wholesome, calming adorableness, this is the book you need on your shelves.

Perfect for bedtime read, great read-aloud before naptime, great re-read for the littles because the illustrations are super cute. Would make a great baby shower gift book as well.

Audience: 0-5 I'd say.

[Sarah Hovorka]

This is a surprisingly beautiful board book...not because I wasn't expecting a great story from the wonderful Benson Shum, but because the artwork is so brilliant and unique for a board book. This story is heartfelt with a very sweet main character. The text is minimal, as expected for a board book, but it touches on deep themes of friendship, individuality, and connectivity of the natural world.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I literally said, "That's precious", after finishing this book. The art is adorable and the story is so sweet and also adorable. It's basically about a little seed hugging everyone UNLESS they don't want a hug. Then the little seed gives them the space they need which I absolutely LOVED. Lovely toddler book.

[Beth Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This board book embracing the natural world shares the concept of giving love and kindness with respect for each creature’s needs. Cute and inviting introduction to animals and affection for little ones.

[Sophia Gholz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a sweet and heartfelt book. The illustrations are gorgeous and little ones will ask to read this again and again. This beautiful book is filled with positivity, love, and would make an excellent gift!

[Kate Talbot · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gorgeous read for the littlest of readers and is the perfect text to start conversations about the appropriate ways to show love. Following a little seed, as he attempts to spread love across the whole world, this lyrical text set to vibrant and playful illustrations is sure to delight.

[Patricia Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adorable story that celebrates nature and all its gifts. Benson Shum's colorful illustrations make Little Seed and Mama Earth instantly relatable to the toddler set. A perfect addition to your board book collection.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kids will love joining Little Seed on a heartfelt journey to spread love across the world. Little Seed discovers different ways to hug all types of animals. I appreciated the respect paid to the armadillo who didn't want to be hugged. A fabulous board book with adorable illustrations.

[Namita Mehra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Benson's illustrations are the cutest! This is a sweet heart-warming picture book that gives you all the fuzzy feels. Fills me with love and gratitude for all the wonderful creatures and places our planet earth holds.

[Rachel Noble · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little Seed wants to show his love to the world and with the guidance of Mother Earth, demonstrates his love and affection in appropriate ways. I loved the bright interactive illustrations and this sweet, sweet concept.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Positive story about little seed giving love and hugs to various animals with cuddles, snuggles, tickles, and how do you hug an armadillo has an interesting answer.
Illustrations are fresh and entertaining. Nice Board book!

[Katie Mazeika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated books about love! Little seed is full of love of love. He learns there are different ways to show love to different animals. A perfect read aloud book for toddlers!