Mara Plants a Seed

Gold Winner of the Green Earth Book Award (Picture Book Primary) by the Nature Generation

Teacher Favorites: Teacher Read. Teacher Chosen. (K-2nd Grade) by the Children’s Book Council

Featured in Publisher’s Weekly

Featured in Children's Book Council Summer Showcase: These are the People in my Neighborhood


How does a handful of seeds turn into a garden?

With lyrical language and blooming illustrations, this spring picture book from Science, Naturally! reveals the transformative power of simple actions. By cleaning up an empty lot and planting fifty sunflower seeds, Mara begins to grow a flourishing, wild garden, but she doesn't do it alone. Flying insects, digging worms, hungry birds, noisy neighbors, and other secret gardeners are all quietly at work: rainstorms wash seeds away, rabbits leave new ones behind, and some helpers nibble weeds while others fertilize the soil. Each time Mara visits, expecting her sunflowers, she uncovers another secret. A nature book for kids and a garden book for young readers, Mara Plants a Seed sparks curiosity about how seeds grow, nature's cycles, and caring for our planet. It's an outdoor book for kids that connects learning with the world around them. Written by acclaimed authors Donna Jo Napoli and Robert Furrow, with illustrations by Melissa Bailey.


Community Connection: A garden and nature book for kids, great for Earth Day and year-round, showing how growing together builds stronger bonds.
Hands-On Nature Learning: Part science books for kids, part gardening for kids, this seed book explores how plants grow and the wonder of nature's cycles.
Award-Winning Earth Day Pick: Winner of the 2026 Green Earth Book Award (Picture Book Primary), valued by educators for blending environmental themes with character growth.
Educator Recommended: An ideal first plant book for kids, praised by early-childhood experts for making big ideas accessible and sparking outdoor exploration.
Celebrated Creators: Written and illustrated by acclaimed children's book artists who bring the natural world vividly to life.