Maybe You Might

September 1, 2022
This lyrical, poetic picture book addresses a perennial question: Why try? The story begins on the front endpapers where the child narrator stands alone amid a barren expanse of dirt. "There was nothing green or growing / in the country of my birth," the text later says. So, the narrator plants one seed and tends it. People say this won't make a difference, but the child perseveres, thinking, "Maybe it might." Cunha's mixed-media illustrations are formed with strong textured brushes of color -- light on detail but heavy on atmosphere. Parched-earth shades give way to lush blues and greens as that first seed grows into a tree, which produces fruit and more seeds, which, in turn, produce more plant life throughout the span of the narrator's lifetime. This book is a testament to the power of tenacious audacity while also demonstrating the life cycle of people, plants, and the planet itself. Foxell's text speaks of care and hope while Cunha shows how the water cycle restarts itself as the narrator grows from child to adult to parent to elder. A beautiful volume that will sit as comfortably alongside classroom curricula as it will on story shelves. Adrienne L. Pettinelli

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from August 15, 2022
Think of what you might do! A brown-skinned child finds a seed. Imbued with conviction that maybe something can come of it, the child plants it in ostensibly hostile growing conditions, lovingly tends it, and then...the protagonist's hope is realized, and the world flourishes. The child's tender stewardship of the seed results in a tree that lays down roots and bears fruit to feed community residents and birds that now, with the promise of a renewed food source, return to the area. The seeds from these fruits are, in turn, planted and become new trees. In a very simple description of the water cycle, readers learn how, over time, abundant trees in an area can produce a river where once there was parched soil. Narrated in beautiful, uplifting, lyrical verse by the child, this lovely British import is about the glorious fulfillment of hope and supports the idea that one small person might change the world. The mixed-media illustrations are stunning and perfectly suit the text. The first spread is stark, featuring almost colorless depictions of the child's nearly lifeless environs; even the color of the child's dress resembles sand. Pages that follow, showing the seeds' growth and the abundance of new vegetation and wildlife, explode with color. Vivid greens and blues predominate, befitting the theme of the world's brilliant renewal. (This book was reviewed digitally.) This gorgeous book shimmers with hope and possibilities. (Picture book. 4-8)

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July 1, 2022
This lyrical, poetic picture book addresses a perennial question: Why try? The story begins on the front endpapers where the child narrator stands alone amid a barren expanse of dirt. "There was nothing green or growing / in the country of my birth," the text later says. So, the narrator plants one seed and tends it. People say this won't make a difference, but the child perseveres, thinking, "Maybe it might." Cunha's mixed-media illustrations are formed with strong textured brushes of color -- light on detail but heavy on atmosphere. Parched-earth shades give way to lush blues and greens as that first seed grows into a tree, which produces fruit and more seeds, which, in turn, produce more plant life throughout the span of the narrator's lifetime. This book is a testament to the power of tenacious audacity while also demonstrating the life cycle of people, plants, and the planet itself. Foxell's text speaks of care and hope while Cunha shows how the water cycle restarts itself as the narrator grows from child to adult to parent to elder. A beautiful volume that will sit as comfortably alongside classroom curricula as it will on story shelves.

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)