I picked this book up because of the adorable picture on the front and quickly read through it. Despite some initial concerns, I really loved it.
The cause of those concerns? Well, the first chunk of it focused on the badness of the bad seed in a way that made me more than a little uncomfortable. I didn’t enjoy the references to how the seed looked in correlation to how he was behaving. It seemed to imply that people who ‘look bad’ are, in fact, bad.
However, the second part of the book completely erased my causes for concern. It is explained that the bad seed was once a good, happy seed whose attitude changed when his family went through a series of unfortunate events. The bad seed lost his home and all of his family members. He barely survived being eaten and then had to deal with being homeless, all of which caused him to become angry. His bad behavior is a direct response to his anger about the tragedies he personally suffered.
In the final part of the book, the bad seed decides he wants to be happy. He no longer wants to let his life circumstance dictate his behavior and he begins to makes positive changes in his life and the lives of others. The book ends on hopeful note, with someone saying ‘He’s not a bad seed any more.’
I think this book would be very useful for children who have been acting out due to upsetting or unpleasant aspects of their home life. It perfectly illustrates how unfair and scary life can be. It shows that being angry and acting out is a natural response to bad things happening. The bad seed’s choice to be a happy seed tells children that they too can choose happiness even in the face of terrible adversity and that others will response well to their decision to behave in a better or more responsible way.
- Goodreads rating – 4.32
- SUMMARY – lielabell