This story about a baaaaaaaaaad seed starts out with a humorous description of the bad seed and all the terrible things he does. As the story continues, we learn the reason behind the bad seed’s behavior—he went through a traumatic (yet cleverly-entertaining) experience where he was almost eaten at a baseball game. Then one day, the bad seed decides he wants to be happy. As he tries tries his best to improve, he learns, and teaches readers, that being good doesn’t require perfection, it merely means trying your best. The expressive watercolor illustrations juxtapose bold colors with soft neutrals, adding important details to the already animated diction, like when the seed’s cracks heal once he starts trying to be good. While the book brings many positive messages to the table—such as second chances, the ability to change, judging others, choosing cheeriness, and empathy—the story feels unfinished, anticlimactic, and out of order. The first half of the story is promising, funny, and clever, but the tone completely changes when the seed decides he wants to be happy. The humor is lost, and more importantly, the explanation for the shift to a “good” attitude is missing.
JORY JOHN is the author of multiple books for children and adults, including the New York Times bestsellers The Terrible Two and All My Friends Are Dead, as well as the popular Penguin Problems and E. B. White Read-Aloud Honor book Goodnight Already. He lives in Oregon with his wife.
As a seasoned professional in the animation industry, Pete Oswald’s credits include traditional animation, CG, and stop motion. Pete’s work as an illustrator and designer includes Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, Madagascar 2, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, ParaNorman, and Hotel Transylvania. His short film, The Story of Walls (2009), earned him an Annie Award nomination. Pete and his family live in Santa Monica, California.
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