The Bad Seed
A cheeky sunflower seed with bad manners and a grumpy attitude slowly decides he wants to be happy, sharing the backstory of how a scary near-miss turned him sour. The story ends on a warm, realistic note: he's trying his best, one day at a time.
A great pick for ages 4 and up, especially kids who enjoy funny characters with big personalities and stories about making better choices.
Chapters to know about
A full illustration shows giant teeth beginning to close around the seed -- the most visually intense moment in the book, and likely to be the one that lingers for very young readers.
The seed and his family are scooped up in a harvesting bag from a dying sunflower and nearly eaten at a baseball game; this backstory explains the seed's bitterness.
The seed falls from the bleachers after the near-eating, and a later illustration shows him covered in cuts and Band-Aids; brief and cartoon-style, no blood.