Saving Delicia: A Story About Small Seeds and Big Dreams, by Laura Gehl/Illustrated by Patricia Metola, (Apr. 2024, Flyaway Books), $19.00, ISBN: 9781947888449
Ages 3-7
Kari and her dog Cookie sit in the shade of a delicia tree, listening to Old Otis tell stories about his youth, when delicia trees grew in abundance and he would eat fruit after fruit, the juice running down his chin. Blight has killed off all but one tree, but Kari holds hope. She saves the seeds after she eats the fruit, and asks Otis if he thinks she could bring the trees back. Moved to action, Kari learns about freezing and preserving seeds; her friends join her, and they create “Kari and Otis’s Seed Bank”, delighting Otis. Sadly, Otis and the last delicia tree die shortly after, but the following year, scientists solve the blight problem and Kari puts her seed bank to use. An older Kari sits among a delicia orchard, sharing stories with the children who cannot believe there was a time when there was only one delicia tree. A moving story of empathy, environmental stewardship, and intergenerational friendship, Saving Delicia is an excellent choice for Spring storytimes, and if you have a seed library (like my library!) or a gardening program, this is a must read. A note from the author expands on the importance of seed banks and biodiversity. The colorful illustrations are cheery, filled with hope, and show the incredible beauty of the many seeds that give life to beautiful and necessary plants: “So many seeds that could grow into brilliant bouquets or towering forests”. An essential for picture book collections.
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