Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss. ( )

A beautifully illustrated story attempting to communicate the Parable of the Mustard Seed falls just short of its attempt, giving a fun and creative story in a child-friendly way to understand and engage in the picture of a mustard seed, but leaves a bit to be desired in its connection to faith, Jesus, and the kingdom of God. It does connect to this toward the very end, but just for a moment. In this attempt, this comes across more as a cute story to emphasize the idea of not being seen as much or having much ability to achieve...YET! That in itself is a fun opportunity of conversation with a child, but doesn't do well on the faith-based side in communicating what this has to do with the kingdom of God.

“A child plants a mustard seed in an empty garden. It is an itty-bitty seed. It isn’t anything very special—yet.” Discover the surprising potential of one small seed in The Marvelous Mustard Seed. Based on Jesus’ parable of the Mustard Seed, this inspiring children’s book shows young readers that one tiny seed—just like one small child—carries a world of potential.

The Marvelous Mustard Seed is written in such simplicity that a child’s heart and mind can grasp this scriptural analogy. The illustrations are sweet and charming. I loved the way the youngster’s expressions in the book totally capture a child’s curiosity and awe of learning.
The first part and the majority of the book make it clear how tiny a mustard seed is. It was humorous and cute as children explored the tiny seed from their young perspective. The life cycle of the mustard plant is shown from planting to full growth, emphasis on how large it becomes and its many uses. The last part of the book presents how this relates to the Bible parable of the mustard seed, found in Matthew, Mark and Luke.
Children are visual learners and can connect abstract ideas much easier with something they can relate to. With the detail to what can be seen and touched at the beginning makes it easy for a child to understand more about God’s Kingdom. I plan to use it with my Sunday school class. ( )

This book is a wonderful and easily understandable retelling of Jesus' Parable of the Mustard Seed. The story begins with the small mustard seed and discusses what you can or cannot do with it. The children then plant is and it takes the reader/listener through the process of growing a mustard tree, from planting it, getting roots, sprouting, until it finally being a tree that provides shade, as well as using leaves and seeds for medicines and food. The rest of the book compares that growth to the growth of God's love and The Kingdom of God. The illustrations are very cute. They have a lot of detail and action to enhance the story. A great story for a Christian school library, a church of family. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley. ( )