An's seeds

A master monk gives three boys – Ben, Jing and An - a very precious thousand-year-old lotus seed each and instructs them to plant them and make them grow. Each boy decides on a very different approach. Ben wants his seed to grow fast so he plants it straight away in deep winter and unfortunately the cold snows kills it. Jing spends hours researching how to grow a lotus plant. He chooses the best flower pot and uses the best fertiliser and compost. His seed starts to sprout but when he covers it with a gold lid it dies through a lack of sunshine and oxygen. An waits until spring before planting his seed in a corner next to a pond. The seed sprouts, and grows into a beautiful lotus flower. 

An’s Seed is a philosophical tale about discovering how doing things at the right time will lead to the best results. The detailed illustrations by Li Huang rendered in Chinese painting are full of expression.