A super important topic for kids to learn about! It was written in an age-appropriate, accessible way with eye-catching illustrations.

I learned a lot from this book! I'm a big fan of juvenile non-fiction like this; it focuses on one specific topic, gives you lots of information, and keeps it easy to understand. It takes a talented author to handle all of that, and Clendenan did a great job. I really enjoyed the illustrations in this book. They really set the scene for the cold, icy seed vault, while also showing the warmth and comfort in sections about family and community. Really great book!

I have a special interest in Svalbard, which made this storybook even more appealing to me. Just in Case is a fascinating and beautifully illustrated look at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault and why saving seeds matters. Megan Clendenan explains the topic in a way that’s both engaging and easy to understand, while the artwork brings the icy Arctic setting to life. A great read for curious kids and adults alike!

'Only eight hundred miles from the North Pole, away from wars and weapons, safe from earthquakes, fire, and even an asteroid, buried deep in the Earth on an island in Norway, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault holds priceless treasure.'

Oh, this made me cry. In a truly, wonderfully hopeful way. My conservationist/environmentalist book from childhood was The Wump World which truly shaped me as a lover of the world. But The Wump World is pretty darn bleak even with the hopeful-ish ending. I loved it, I reread it, but oh, my heart broke for the wumps. Every time I read it, I was so sad for the wumps and their destroyed home. Just in Case on the other hand, seems like the happy complement to it. Seeds from all over the world stored in the ice for safekeeping? Original seeds, protected for the future? Possibly for hundreds of years? Safe from war, disasters, loss of use because focus is driven by demand? I was instantly emotional.

I’m also astonished I didn’t know about this place?! I had to look up the Svalbard Global Seed Vault while I was reading and it’s such a cool concept! I’m absolutely delighted by its existence! YES, ALL THE SEEDBANKS! LOVE IT!

'More than 580 million seeds. For you, for me, for everybody. Just in case.'

The part that really, really made me emotional was reading about how it’s been used already and a seedbank that was endangered by modern warfare was able to send its seeds to Svalbard, keep them safe, and later retrieve them for replanting. Isn’t that beautiful? My environmentalist, Earth-loving self lost it at that part.

I honestly cannot recommend this little book enough! For kids and adults! Go grab a copy and have a good cry about lovely, hopeful things humans are doing for the future! Go, go, go!

I have long held a personal interest in seed banks, and the Svalbard Seed Bank in particular. I love the care with which the story of the seed bank and its importance are presented in this book. Readers learn about the history and purpose of the Svalbard Seed Bank, and it also gently encourages individuals to do their part as well, reinforcing the value of individual actions and involvement in a community. The book's description of community seed banks reinforces the continuity between cultures that the Svalbard Seed Bank also represents. This is a beautiful and thoughtful book.

"Seeds are more than the foundation of our food.
They are history.
And they are the future."

My first words opening the book were : oh wow ! Seriously, the illustration are stunning !

The colors are beautiful, the landscapes, the drawing, everything. It looks like oil pastels. It's magnificent from the very beginning. It's very pleasurable to learn about how we are Saving Seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault with such gorgeous visuals.

"The Svalbard Global Seed Vault aims to store duplicates of every seed housed in all other seed banks." Why aim ? Because it's not a forever 100% secure solution : as explained nothing is for ever. Wars, malfunctions, weather catastrophes happen. Sometimes the vault needs repair, and the seeds needs to be replaced. It's not just something to be stored and forgotten. It needs maintenance, and seeds are regularly planted and replaced.

I loved how we see where the 580 millions of frozen seeds come from, all those countries and places around the world, with the people who made them grow. Who planted, harvested and collected them so they could end up saved there in Norway, Just in Case.

"...otherwise they could become extinct, gone forever."

I learned a lot of things through this read. We went through many subjects as global warming, biology, conception and construction of a vault, farming, biodiversity, etc.

"A treasure trove of tiny kernels of life, that if planted will sprout, soak up the sun, drink the rain, provide oxygen, and nourish us."

There are so many great messages and pieces of information. It's fascinating how this whole project works. I learned a lot.

We lose seeds when we stop using them, so, the final message is : Plant a seed, save a seed. "The best way to save seeds for the future is to grow them yourself !" So hey people, if you read this and can, go plant a few seeds, and keep the preservation of our beautiful world safer, you know, just in case.

#JustinCase #NetGalley

Thanks to NetGalley and Charlesbridge for the ARC of this one! I enjoyed learning about the seeds and this amazing place! I will definitely be adding this to my boys library!

Just in Case: Saving Seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault by Megan Clendenan, illustrated by Brittany Cicchese, introduces young readers to the fascinating world of seed preservation inside a hidden mountain vault near the North Pole. This informative nonfiction picture book explores a topic I knew little about—and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

So cute!!! This really does give children a story about planning for the future of our planet! Such a great way to introduce the importance of seeds!!

Even though this is geared toward children, I loved this book. So well researched and informative. I learned quite a bit. If you’re wanting to expand your knowledge, this book is a great choice. Highly recommend.

I was blessed with an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own and unbiased.

This is the best non-fiction children's book I've read this year. Beautiful illustrations, thoughtful word placement, and well-researched and interesting information guides readers through the importance of seed saving and the perils of losing our major food sources. This book hints at the effects of climate change, but mostly focuses on the extraordinary efforts undertaken by concerned citizens and scientists to protect our biodiversity. I highly recommend this book for schools and libraries, and would nominate it for my state's readers choice book award (the Monarch awards in Illinois). I think this important book should be read by children and adults.

What a timely, worthwhile, lovely book.

The illustrations in this book are stunning. Brittany’s use of color is gorgeous but I especially love how the artist inserts so much depth into every single page. The pictures tell the story just as succinctly as the words do.

And the story itself? As I said, I find it to be such a great time to tell this story to children. There are so many things happening in our world that makes our future (at the moment) seem so uncertain. Knowing that there are so many capable, well-trained, brilliant humans from all over the planet working together for a better, more healthy future that they believe in?! THAT inspire hope. That inspires confidence. And that is exactly what children and adults need right now.

Teaching our children - the bearers of our future - about seed banks and why they’re beautiful and important is such a worthy task. And Megan absolutely sticks the landing. I think the kids who read about the Svalbard Global Seed Vault will be so intrigued by it and invested in its future.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Charlesbridge for the ARC copy of Just in Case.

I received an eARC of Just in Case by Megan Clendenan through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'd actually never heard of a seed vault before! The information was easily digestible, some simple sections and others more technical. I think it is formatted in a way that makes this book a nice one for an adult to read along with a child or to a child.

I like the focus on the varieties and how many different seeds come from so many countries. It all makes sense and I'm not sure why it never occurred to me before that places like this would exist.

When I saw the title and read the synopsis, I was more interested in the information, but was pleasantly surprised to see such beautiful artwork alongside it. There's artwork of the Svalbard area and seed vault, but also of different places with different families, too. I also love the diversity of people shown in each scene. There's one particular page where it talks about the architects, scientists, and engineers planning the vault and the diversity was really nice to see.

Overall, I think this would make a great book for not just a science class in schools, but also just for a family to read and enjoy the artwork together.

Collecting seeds and storing them in safety so they are protected for when we need them -- this is something that seems obvious once you hear about it, but how brilliant were the people who originally came up with the idea! So simple and obvious and important.
This is a gorgeous picture book but I learned a lot and have already started looking for other sources to learn more -- this is just so interesting! The seed bank in Norway is the main one, and a backup for the approximately 1,700 others around the world. Unfortunately, Russia destroyed seeds in the Ukraine seed bank that hadn't been shared yet.
This is technically a science book, but I highly encourage everyone to read it because of the beautiful illustrations and how important the topic is.

I saw this book offered on NetGalley and, although I don’t usually request children’s books, I couldn’t resist grabbing this one—and I had good reasons! I’ve been fascinated with the real Svalbard Global Seed Vault ever since I saw a CBS Sunday Morning segment about it years ago. As an avid gardener and a (very young and hip) grandma, I thought this would be a fun and meaningful book to share with my granddaughter. I also just finished reading Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy, which features a fictional seed vault, so the theme has definitely been top of mind for me. It felt like fate, and I’m so glad I requested it.

This book gives young readers a fascinating introduction to the real-life vault buried deep inside a mountain near the North Pole, where over 580 million seeds are safely stored to help protect our food supply and the planet’s future. It breaks down how and why the vault was created, what it’s like inside, and how it’s already helped in real-world crises. The writing is educational and engaging, making big concepts accessible for younger readers.

The illustrations, though, truly blew me away. They're absolutely stunning! Breathtaking depictions of landscapes, animals, and people from around the globe are plentiful in this story. The diversity in the faces and cultures represented made my heart happy. The story is not only informative but filled with a sense of hope and empowerment, encouraging kids to think about stewardship and how they can care for the Earth.

There’s also a fantastic resource section at the end for kids (and adults!) who want to dig a little deeper. I highly recommend this for families, classrooms, and anyone looking to spark a sense of wonder and responsibility in the next generation. Thank you to NetGalley and Charlesbridge for the advance copy. I enjoyed it so much!

Absolutely stunning artwork accompanies a lesson in seed banks. This story depicts characters from all around the world, of all different skin tones, paired with blocks of informational text alongside a more narrative storyline. A wonderful educational tool, with truly breathtaking imagery.