Written by Tammy Cranston, ROOTED: A Seedling’s Journey concerns young readers with considerations of belonging, life, and determination. A sapling struggles to establish itself in a forest, helped along by the encouragement and sage advice of “Grandpa Oakey”—a venerable old oak who prepares the sapling for the “Seed to Tree” ceremony in the fall. At that point, the sapling will be challenged to see if it is tall enough, wide enough, and sufficiently well-rooted to be a tree.
Despite being a mere 30 pages, this handsomely illustrated picture book manages to work on a couple of different levels. On the one hand, there is the rootedness of the narrator in what it is: a sapling on its way to becoming a tree—which speaks to anyone embarking on the voyage of self-discovery that’s integral to so many of our childhoods. Cranston turns the forest into a community, with other anthropomorphic trees and woodland creatures in evidence. But our protagonist’s voyage is also a hard one: the sapling is tossed around by stormy winds, reminded all the while by his grandpa to stand fast and endure the peril. That, too, is a useful lesson, as are the snippets of wisdom dispensed throughout; readers are reminded to respect others and learn from mistakes. Cranston also includes a question sheet at the end, so that parents and guardians can help develop self-reflection in young readers.
Sensitive readers may also need some reassurance when “Grandpa Oakey” passes after a long winter. But the young sapling—who has given himself the name “Dendro,” in reference to dendrochronology—remembers to pay it forward, exhorting the new sapling just as he was once exhorted to bear the discomfort. It is a simple tale about the circle of life, serving as a reminder of just how important responsibility is to one’s sense of self and that attending to the well-being of others is virtuous. In that sense, ROOTED: A SEEDLING’S JOURNEY is not only an entertaining and educational children’s book, but also a timely one. Rarely has the need for us to tend to one another’s well-being been more pronounced than it is today.
Tammy Cranston’s ROOTED: A Seedling’s Journey is a timely and entertaining children’s book that teaches readers many important values about one’s duty of care to both oneself and others.
~Craig Jones for IndieReader