The Carrot Seed: 75th Anniversary - by Ruth Krauss (Hardcover)

About the Book

Despite the negativity of his family, a little boy continues to care for his carrot seed until it produces a carrot.

Book Synopsis

Celebrate 75 years of The Carrot Seed with a new foreword from Caldecott Honor picture book creator Kevin Henkes!

When a little boy plants a carrot seed, everyone tells him it won't grow. But when you are very young, there are some things that you just know, and the little boy knows that one day a carrot will come up. So he waters his seed, and pulls the weeds, and he waits...

This beloved classic celebrates patience, determination, and believing in yourself. First published in 1945 and never out of print, the timeless combination of Ruth Krauss's simple text and Crockett Johnson's eloquent illustrations creates a triumphant and deeply satisfying story for readers of all ages.

An Atlantic 65 Essential Children's Books Selection, 2025

From the Back Cover

The Carrot Seed, having to do with a little boy and his personal carrot seed, is a very refreshing book all around. It will be completely understandable to the young, quite unanswerable to the young, quite unanswerable to adults, and deeply satisfying to both.

Review Quotes

The patience he displays is worthy, even mature, but what gives The Carrot Seed its backbone, and a bit of edge, is the boy's old-soul doggedness, his insouciant assurance that something, in the end, will come of his efforts. -- The Atlantic 65 Essential Children's Books, 2025