The Miracle Seed
About this ebook
The thrilling true story of an ancient plant, wonderfully reborn in the modern era through the hard work of two female scientists.
Thousands of years ago, in a time of rebellion, the Jewish people fought against their Roman rulers. The brutal Emperor Titus ordered the destruction of everything precious to the Jews: towns, villages, even their beloved Judean date palm trees. Centuries passed. The Jewish people were scattered, and the Judean date palm faded into extinction. Then, in 1963, a team of archaeologists uncovered two-thousand-year-old date palm seeds at the ruined fortress of Masada. For another forty years the seeds waited—until 2004, when Israeli scientist Dr. Sarah Sallon had a big, courageous idea. What if those ancient seeds could bring the Judean date palm back to life? Dr. Sallon recruited her friend Dr. Elaine Solowey, and their amazing experiment began…
Intertwining world history, the scientific process, and colorfully detailed artwork, The Miracle Seed follows the Judean date palm’s journey from tragic extinction to incredible rebirth. Captivating and hopeful, this graphic novel is an unforgettable look at perseverance and survival in the face of impossible odds.
The Nature Generation Green Earth Book Award in Children’s Nonfiction Long List (2024)
WORLD Children’s Books of Year - Nonfiction (2023)
Tablet Best Jewish Books List (2023)
PJ Library Selection (2023)
Junior Library Guild Selection (2023)
Ratings and reviews
About the author
Martin Lemelman has illustrated over thirty children's books and is the author-illustrator of the graphic memoirs Two Cents Plain (Bloomsbury) and Mendel's Daughter: A Memoir (Free Press). He hopes that The Miracle Seed inspires his granddaughters and other young women to ask hard questions about the world and persevere in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. Martin lives in Florida, where he is a certified Florida Master Gardener. Visit Martin's website at lemelmanart.com and follow him on Twitter @MartinLemelman.
