Cedolia’s children’s book celebrates belief in oneself and the drive to succeed.

A young apple seed lives with his brother and sister seeds inside their apple, swinging gently from their parent tree. The young seed dreams of a world beyond their quiet little home, yearning to be something more. Though his siblings think him silly, the young apple seed keeps dreaming his big dreams. One warm day, some real excitement begins: The other seeds begin to worry and fret as their home apple falls from the tree, crashing to the ground. It’s not just the other seeds’ voices that the protagonist hears—there are human voices, as well. With a mighty “CRUNCH!” their home is broken open, and, finally, the seed sees the light of day. With the remains of the apple tossed into a ditch, the little seed is freed, landing face down in the dirt. It revels in the warmth of the sun, and in the possibilities open to him now that he is on his own. As joyous and promising as the first few days are (“Everything was like a tickle and wiggle in his mind and in his heart. The movements of the field, grass, trees, and flowers all around him looked like friends inviting him to join them”), the little seed soon finds himself in pain. Hurting, his thoughts turn dark and hopeless—but the soreness turns out to be growing pains, and the little seed opens to release roots that dig deep into the soil. In this short story, the author affirms the importance of hope, dreaming big, and not letting the dark times get you down. Told from the point of view of one tiny seed amongst many, readers will find themselves rooting for the happily-ever-after that the nascent tree has strived for his entire life. Appropriate for all ages, the tale is a quick and uplifting read.

A short story about an ambitious apple seed that will inspire and delight all ages.