The Bad Seed (The Food Group #1)
Published May 8th 2018 by HarperCollins (first published August 29th 2017), Kindle Edition 45 pages
An Amazon Best Children's Book of the Month from the New York Times bestselling author of the Goodnight Already! series
This is a book about a bad seed. A baaaaaaaaaad seed. How bad? Do you really want to know?
He has a bad temper, bad manners, and a bad attitude. He’s been bad since he can remember! This seed cuts in line every time, stares at everybody and never listens. But what happens when one mischievous little seed changes his mind about himself, and decides that he wants to be—happy?
With Jory John’s charming and endearing text and bold expressive illustrations by Pete Oswald, here is The Bad Seed: a funny yet touching tale that reminds us of the remarkably transformative power of will, acceptance, and just being you. Perfect for readers young and old, The Bad Seed proves that positive change is possible for each and every one of us.
User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
Loved this book! A bad seed decides to change after he comes to the realization that all the other seeds are convinced he is the worst of the worst. Important lessons for small children and fantastic art.
Rating: really liked it
Jory authored the book ‘the Good Egg’, which is one of my favorites of the year. This is the first one, ‘the Bad Seed’. I really enjoyed this book and the arc of the character in it, but it isn’t as good as the egg.
Our seed is bad and does bad stuff children do. But he had a trauma that caused his behavior, being a seed and all. Eventually, he is tired of feeling bad all the time and he wants to feel good so he decides to start being a good seed, baby steps. It’s a whole process.
One of the pictures I love is the seed makes scary faces at a baby seed in a stroller and the seed is crying. It cracks me up.
The nephew thought this was a good book. He liked it. He didn’t have a lot to say about it, but he did like finding the seed among the other seeds each time they were all together. “Which one is it?” he would ask. He was good at finding him. He gave this 3 stars.
Rating: really liked it
A nice story about a sunflower seed who doesn't behave well and is proud of it. As the story progresses we find out that the Bad Seed has been separated from his happy family and has spent some time homeless. The story ends nicely, showing the Bad Seed trying to make a change. The illustrations are lovely and an educational message for children that if a child doesn't have a happy home life this might show in their behaviour at school.
Rating: really liked it
Sometimes things in life turn us into bad seeds. You ever had a day or a week that was just so bad and not everything that happened in the week was your fault or in your control but you just lost it? That is what this story is about.
This is about the Bad Seed. He was not always bad but everyone sees him that way because he makes up mischief and does things that are not socially acceptable, and frankly come off rude. But that is just who he is ok? Well that is not entirely true. He begins to tell us his tale of what happened to him and how he became a bad seed. He used to be happy and have a family but things changed one day when something tragic and unexpected happened. And it left him changed and different. He was no longer a good seed but a bad one, with no friends and completely alone. Things seem pretty direr for this little guy but then something happens and his perspective changes.
I wont tell you the end or anything but I want to talk about how amazing the moral of this book is. I have had a rough week…actually I have had a rough beginning to my year. I keep making mistakes and doing things wrong and just plain messing up. And at times like this week I feel like a bad seed. But this book is about choices.
We can either stay in the dark place we were pushed into or we can rise above and be a good seed. We can make the choice to fight for happiness. Every day is a choice and a battle. One that can be so fulfilling if we just let it.
Little books like this are why I love to read children’s books. It's books like this one that remind us we can be more and have more, but it is up to us to make the choice to change. All we need is a positive outlook for a more positive future.
Rating: really liked it
Read for my toddler’s nap time. The bad seed acted bad after a near death experience. This seed came from a sunflower. After being bad for awhile he tried to be good, but little steps at a time. Other seeds slowly accepting that he’s not so bad after all
Read from kindle unlimited.
Rating: really liked it
This was a fun story about a bad seed who has decided to change his ways. I really enjoyed the illustrations. The story would have been a bit shallow without them. Overall, it's a fun book to share with a young audience.
Rating: really liked it
someone read this on tiktok 🤭
Rating: really liked it
The Bad Seed revels in bad behavior from lying, rudeness, tardiness (yikes - that’s bad?), and uncleanliness alarming his fellow seeds. Describing his elation as a sunflower seed to his descent into hell, the Bad Seed decides he is ready to embrace happiness day by day. A cute child’s book demonstrating that through your efforts you can change yourself.
Rating: really liked it
I kept seeing this e-book pop up on the library site, so I finally decided to give it a try. It's actually pretty funny. The Bad Seed lives in a world populated by sentient seeds (and humans, as it turns out). He's a very bad seed. He doesn't listen, and he cuts in line, and he stares at other seeds to make them uncomfortable.
But he's also got a backstory that sort of helps explain why he is the way he is. Trauma can do strange things to a
person seed. (His background is rather harrowing. I mean, if you're a seed.)
Can a truly bad seed change their ways? This book explores that, and while I found the ending a little too simple, this is a picture book, so I'm not expecting a psychology dissertation. The illustrations definitely make up for the thinness of the story's resolution; they're very well done.
I'm glad I finally picked this one up. It's entertaining, and I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Rating: really liked it
*Read for free with kindle Unlimited*
Drawings: 3.5 stars
Story/Plot: 3.25 stars
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Overused word but cute story.. thought that there could have been a few more pages to it though. To me the latter part felt sudden but that could my brain being overly critical.
I think kids would enjoy this. It might not be their favorite story *shrugs* or maybe it will, could be wrong.
Rating: really liked it
I'm a bad seed.
A bad seed who doesn't do the right thing and behaves badly decides to turn his life around and become a good seed. He also explains that he was not always bad but circumstances led him to bad but he's trying to be good now.
It was a fun, short story with amazing pictures.
4 stars
Rating: really liked it
Can a bad seed ever be good.A seed who realizes that being unhappy and sad is not the way to go. The illustrations were fantastic and the story. Great for any age. Young and old will get a kick out of how he became a bad seed.
Rating: really liked it
It seems as if there's something missing in that the seed just happens to decide to reform... but the child reader who is uncomfortable with being known as a troublemaker or a 'bad kid' might take heart in the straightforwardness of that decision. Sometimes we just realize that change has to happen, even if it's going to take an effort and some time.
Brilliant book because it can be read just for fun, too.
Second read: Reminds me of Scrooge. Finally, on this year's read of Christmas Carol, I realized that Scrooge's reformation is actually more of restoration. Same with this little guy - he had a happy childhood, and only went bad due to bad events.
Rating: really liked it
It lost its witty tone when the bad seed reformed. The art was pleasing throughout.
Library copy
Rating: really liked it
A bad seed. A really bad sunflower seed. We learn the seed's life story and understand why it feels it has to be bad. One day, however, the sunflower seed decides to be good. Well, not all the time.
This expressive picture book has bold, colorful drawings. The seed changes from a negative to a positive attitude. This produces mixed feelings, but it's a happier seed.
