The Carrot Seed

A little boy plants a carrot seed and waits patiently, tending to it carefully, while everyone around him insists that 'it won't come up.' His conviction is steadfast, however, and sure enough, a carrot worthy of first prize at any state fair springs forth from the earth. While the little boy is rendered with uncomplicated lines, all of his hope, confidence, and serenity shine through. The image that resonates most strongly in this minimalist tale is the unfaltering faith of the mild-mannered little boy. Young readers learn that standing your ground in the face of opposition and doubt can often result in twice the reward expected (even thrice the reward, if judging by the girth of this carrot).

A moderately enjoyable quick read - has a limited color palatte, unfortunately. Also my copy is small format; it wouldn't be good for storytimes because of this.

Seems almost more like a morality tale for grownups, though. It's weird to me what came to be considered "classic" back in the day. Anyway, this one sort of made me wonder - is it about how children can do anything and don't need your (well meant?) cautionary advice? Or is it about the power of a child's imagination to spring anything to life?

Also, why would the parents think the carrot wouldn't grow? He watered it and seemed to have gardening basics down? I'm too literal for this story.

A little boy plants a carrot seed and gathers evidence against his skeptical and toxic family that I hope he one day uses in an emancipation of minor legal filing. What a repetitive and depressing book.

I cannot believe I have never read this book before. This is such a short and easy read, but yet so powerful! The little boy planted a carrot seed and his loved ones told him it wouldn't grow. The little boy still watered the seed and took care of it because he knew regardless of what anyone said, it will grow. He had faith in his seed when no one else did. This can teach young readers about determination and holding on to hope.

This is a classic children's picture book. I love reading this story in the Spring to connect the plant life cycle. The touching moments is the patience the little boy shows while he waits for the one seed he planted to grow. One by one, his family members tell him, "it won't come up". This is a simple story that demonstrates patience, persistence, and caring for something even if no one else believes. I have used this book to teach sequencing, prediction, and plant life cycle. The illustrations are simple but genuine. There is a reason why it's considered a classic!

Ruth Krauss is one of my favorite children's book authors, she never disappoints when it comes to making the characters come to life on the page. In the book The Carrot Seed, she tells a charming story about a little boy who planted a carrot seed. Despite everyone doubting the carrot seed would grow, the little boy remained confident in his carrots ability to grow. The reader is able to watch as he plants, takes care of and eventually harvest his carrot. This is an adorable book and I think children of all ages will appreciate its charm. I love the simplicity of the illustrations and how each page flows into the next. Children love to see things grow and what better way to introduce the concept of planting and growing a seed. This book show more could be used during classroom instruction in a variety of ways, for example I would use this book to introduce a science lesson. The Carrot Seed could be used for a read aloud during circle time and after, I would engage students in a hands activity which would allow them to identify the parts of a plant. Another way I would integrate this book into classroom learning is to have students predict what happens next in the book. I would engage students in retelling of the story and have them recall steps the little boy took in order to help his carrot seed grow. show less

A boy plants a seed and no one believes it will come up. Undaunted the boy pulls the weeds and waters the seed every day.. This story is about perseverance in the face of opposition and believing that something good is going to happen even if everyone around you doubts. Might be a fun story to tie in with a Spring Science growing unit. Why not have everyone grow carrots. Then when the kinds start to doubt if the seeds will EVER come up - you can pull this story out of your hat! I loved it.