Sanji's Seed: A Story about Honesty    by B. J. Reinhard & Shelly Hehenberger Order:  USA  Can Bethany, 2000 (2000) Hardcover     Reviewed by Hilary Williamson This magically illustrated re-telling of an East Indian folktale opens with a biblical quote (Luke 16:10), 'Whoever can be trusted with small things can also be trusted with LARGE THINGS.' It then launches into the story of Sanji's Seed and finishes with a set of questions for discussion. Sanji lives in a poor mountain town and dreams of becoming king. One day he finds the palace gates open and wanders in to the middle of a ceremony. The king is giving out seeds to a row of rich boys, in a test to find his successor. The boys are to plant the seeds and care for them. Sanji receives one, which he carefully surrounds with soil in 'a cracked clay cup'. He waters it faithfully, warms it in the sun, and even sings to it. But his seed does not sprout. Though Sanji despairs, his mother is still proud of him, telling him 'You have done your best.' He returns to the palace to face the disdain of the other boys and to be surprised by the king's judgement. Sanji's Seed is a delightful tale that shows us another culture while it teaches a universal lesson about honesty. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews