If You Hold a Seed

If You Hold a Seed by Elly MacKay caught my eye over the weekend because it tugged at my heart and struck me as a gentle book.  The illustrations are in hues of warm brown with muted yellow, greens, a bit of orange and blue.  I was a bit frustrated when I couldn't find out how the illustrations were done.  At times, it's a form of paint and I wonder if sometimes there is a bit of collage carefully crafted with tissue paper so it blends right in.  Patience and time are messages that came to me while reading this book.  The reader follows the life of a tree from the very beginning as a seed til it's big enough to have people sit in it.  That's a lot of time.  The little boy in the story grows as the tree grows and shares his observations of the seasons as he watches this tree.  I found myself thinking about slowing down and observing what is right outside in my yard.  At the end of the story the reader discovers the little boys wish and how it came true.  I just can't tell you this.  I do hope if you need a moment of solitude and gentleness you will find this book to enjoy for the a moment.