A child discovers a secret ingredient for nurturing plantsand for helping ailing loved ones, tooin this tender story by a two-timeNew York Timesbest-selling author celebrating the power of hope.

Everyone in Henrys family loves plants and gardening. So why can he never get his little plant to grow, no matter how hard he tries? His mom has been able to grow anything since she was young, and even cultivated a whole orchard to help feed people who were hungry. Henry imagines his mother as a great tree, with branches wrapping around the whole community. People and seeds have a lot in common, his mom likes to say. If you want them to grow strong, nourishment and sunlight arent enoughthey also need hope. When Henrys mom becomes sick and it looks like she may not recover, this belief that shes sown in her son becomes key to what happens next. Frederick Joseph, award-winning author ofThe Black Friend, offers a bighearted story about keeping hope alive in the face of griefand a gentle allegory with an upbeat message about healing a fragile planet.

Frederick Josephis a Yonkers, New Yorkraised three-timeNew York TimesandUSA Todaybest-selling author. His books include the poetry collectionWe Alive, Beloved; the nonfiction worksPatriarchy Blues,The Black Friend,andBetter Than We Found It, co-written with Porsche Joseph; the picture bookBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever: The Courage to Dream, illustrated by Nikkolas Smith; and the YA novelThis Thing of Ours. He was recognized with a 2021 International Literacy Association Young Adult Book Award, was named to the 2019Forbes30 Under 30 list for marketing and advertising, and is an activist, philanthropist, and poet. Frederick Joseph was also honored with a 2023 Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Vanguard Award and the 2018 Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award, and he was selected for the 2018Root100, a list of the most influential African Americans.

Paul Kellamis aNew York Timesbest-selling illustrator who earned a bachelors in media arts and animation from the Art Institute of Jacksonville. He has colorfully illustrated various books, includingYou Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!)by Taraji P. Henson,Kiki Finds Her Voiceby Kierra Sheard-Kelly, andThe Little Mermaid: Make a Splashby Ashley Franklin, among many others. Paul Kellam resides in Florida with his bestie and their adopted dog-son, Baby.

• Publisher: Candlewick
• Publish Date: March 3, 2026
• Pages: 32
• Language: English
• Type: Hardcover
• EAN/UPC: 9781536233452
• Dimensions: 11.0 X 10.0 X 0.4 inches | 1.0 pounds
• BISAC Categories: Kids