Available Formats
Hardback
Published: 24th August 2021
Paperback
Published: 20th May 2019
Hardback
Published: 6th July 2022
Paperback
Published: 21st August 2023
Hardback
Published: 27th October 2021
The Bad Seed
By (Author) Jory John
Illustrated by Pete Oswald
HarperCollins Publishers Inc
HarperCollins
20th May 2019
2nd May 2019
United States
Children
Fiction
Childrens / Teenage fiction: Humorous stories
Childrens / Teenage: Personal and social topics
Childrens / Teenage personal and social topics: Emotions, moods, feelings and be
Paperback
40
Width 229mm, Height 279mm
191g
An Amazon Best Children's Book of the Month from theNew York Times bestselling author of the Goodnight Already! seriesnow in paperback!
This is a book about a bad seed. A baaaaaaaaaad seed. How bad Do you really want to know
He has a bad temper, bad manners, and a bad attitude. Hes been bad since he can remember! This seed cuts in line every time, stares at everybody and never listens. But what happens when one mischievous little seed changes his mind about himself, and decides that he wants to behappy
With Jory Johns charming and endearing text and bold expressive illustrations by Pete Oswald, here is The Bad Seed: a funny yet touching tale that reminds us of the remarkably transformative power of will, acceptance, and just being you. Perfect for readers young and old, The Bad Seed proves that positive change is possible for each and every one of us.
The BEST read-aloud book of the year...Seriously. -- Mel Schuit, Lets Talk Picture Books(blog)
This is kid-book humor at its best, both warmhearted and friskythe kind that leaves adults, too, cracking up and grateful. -- New York Times Book Review
This is a story that opens up dialogue about our reactions to life experiences, the consequences of our choices, and the chance to make a change for the better. -- School Library Journal (starred review)
This charmingly illustrated book would be a comical read-aloud and useful for class or family discussions about manners, behavior, and reputation. -- School Library Journal (starred review)
Young readers will find the list of all the seeds offenses amusing, and the illustration of the flies and stench surrounding him (he never washes his hands or feet) is sure to elicit laughter. -- School Library Journal (starred review)
Even the very youngest can follow along as the pictures provide evidence of the seeds bad behavior and the reactions of those around him. -- School Library Journal (starred review)
John gives the seed a sympathetic backstory (packaged as a snack food, he barely escaped being eaten) that, along with his eventual determination to change his stripes, should keep readers engaged. -- Publishers Weekly
Working in digitized watercolors, Oswald makes this antiheros angst vivid and touching, and the world the seed moves ina metropolis populated by seeds that include peanuts, coconuts, and corn kernelsadds a playful counterpoint of background detail and comedy. -- Publishers Weekly
The watercolor illustrations provide plenty of comic effect. -- Booklist
Young readers will enjoy watching the dramatic seed intimidate his nervous neighbors, and might not even realize theyre learning a lesson about good behavior in the process. -- Booklist
Oswalds illustrations of seeds, legumes and nuts match Johns silly, appealing story. -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Jory John is a New York Times bestselling author and two-time E.B. White Read-Aloud Honor recipient. Jory's work includes the award-winning Goodnight Already! series, the bestselling Terrible Two series, the recent picture books Penguin Problems and Quit Calling Me a Monster!, and the national bestseller All my friends are dead, among many other books. He lives and works in Oregon, where he tries to be a very good seed, indeed. Pete Oswald is a painter, illustrator, and filmmaker. He is the co-creator of Mingo the Flamingo. Pete worked as a character designer and concept artist on the popular films Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and Hotel Transylvania. His short film The Story of Walls earned him an Annie Award nomination. He was the production designer of The Angry Birds Movie. Pete lives in Santa Monica, California, with his wife and two sons. You can visit him online at peteoswald.tumblr.com.