Beth Anderson, Children's Writer

THE SEED THAT MOLLY GREW is all about connections that come from the miracle of a tiny seed. Author Sue Heavenrich even found a way to make story structure a part of that heart! This is a perfect book to share for fall as kids’ attention turns to pumpkins. 

Congratulations to A. Turner, winner of OUR UNDERWATER WORLD from Sue Lowell Gallion! 

One Seed, Many Connections by Sue Heavenrich

When I began writing The Pie That Molly Grew, I wanted to share the wonder I see in my garden every summer: the slow unfolding of the process of growth. Because it is pretty amazing, when you think about it, that a seed no bigger than a penny can grow into a long, tangly vine that produces an abundance of pumpkins.

I also wanted to share the important role native bees play in pollinating the flowers. As a community science volunteer, I’ve been counting pollinators for the Great Sunflower Project for over a decade, and am amazed at how many different kinds of bees I find in my pumpkin flowers.

My story, like a pumpkin vine, began with a small seed – a single line that stuck in my brain: this is the pie that Molly made. And the question: how did we get from a seed to that pie? Showing that process seemed straightforward: a seed germinates and sprouts, roots spread down, vine spreads out.

Then more questions arose. Do children understand that some of their food comes from plants? Like pumpkin pie, or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. And that jelly? It’s probably made from a fruit that, like a pumpkin, was pollinated by bees. Suddenly my simple story of how a plant grows became a complex web of connections.

Meanwhile that earworm of a line kept bugging me, so I added another line, and another.

This is the seed that Molly sowed.

This is the sprout that came from the seed that Molly sowed.

These are the roots that anchor the plant that came from the seed…

Plant growth is a continuous process; each stage relies on what happened before. Without germination there would be no sprout, no roots. Without a stem, where will leaves and flowers grow? Using the rhythm and structure of the “House that Jack Built” felt like a natural fit.

Plant growth is also a series of connections: once you’ve got flowers, you need bees. Especially with pumpkins, where male flowers produce the pollen and female flowers produce the fruit. No bees, no pie!

But there was something deeper running through my mind, and my heart, as I worked on this book. And that is how we – people – are connected through this plant. Every time I plant pumpkin seeds, I marvel how this humble fruit has fed families for thousands of years.  I cannot remember a Thanksgiving without a pumpkin pie. So I knew I had to include that connection, the gratitude we have for the earth and the sun, the rain and the seed, the flowers and the bees, and the gardeners and farmers who grow the food we eat. I am so grateful for the way that Chamisa Kellogg, the marvelous artist illustrator for our book, portrayed the community celebration at the end. When you take the time to look at that spread, you notice that the food is served on a collection of tables as diverse as the people sharing the meal.

When you enjoy a book, please take a moment to support authors and illustrators by leaving a review with online booksellers.

BLOG TOUR STOPS – Here’s where you can find more about THE PIE THAT MOLLY GREW:

Vivian Kirkfield’s blog for a Book Birthday & giveaway
STEAMTeam at Maria Marshall’s blog, The Picture Book Buzz
Carol Baldwin’s blog
Kathy Halsey and the GROG blog
Aug 28 – with Lauri Fortino at Frog on a Blog

BIO

Sue Heavenrich is a curious naturalist and is particularly amazed by the diversity of insects that visit her garden. She has followed ants in the desert, tagged bumble bees in the Rockies, taught science to high-schoolers, and filed hundreds of articles as an environmental and community journalist. A few years ago Sue traded in her reporter’s notebooks for composition books and began writing for children. When not writing, she counts pollinators as a community science volunteer. The world outside her back door inspires her to ask questions and look closer.

Website: https://www.sueheavenrich.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SueHeavenrichWriter

Blog: https://archimedesnotebook.blogspot.com/