Thank you to NetGalley and Greenleaf Audiobooks for a ALC of this book!

The Book of Sprout is the perfect book for your child that has an adventurous mind and seeks stories that are outside of the box. I loved the attention to detail as this story grew. My kids have such a love for the library and that was such a present theme in this book!

Sprout is such a unique kid with an explosive and creative mind. As parents, we strive to create and foster an environment where our kids can be creative and free. This was an inspiring story of unexpectant situations and how powerful knowledge can be. Sprout also had such a big heart and that came through on the page with his interactions with different people.

I loved that Karen Norheim coauthored this book as well as did a phenomenal job with the narration of the audiobook! Perfect pacing for a children’s audiobook!

Richard Gleason's allegory of Sprout, co-authored by his niece Karen Norheim, is an original and clever metaphor about life, knowledge, and the people you'll meet along the winding way. Sprout, no longer a child, sets off to fill his empty book with adjectives about life. His adventure teaches him about the big, beautiful and complicated world around him, in a whimsical and yet fair interpretation - even giving liars grace. Sprout learns that everyone has their own life and perspective, but knowledge, wisdom, and the careful application of both reign supreme. Gleason tackles the problem of grumpiness, wickedness, and what defines goodness in non-spiritual terms.

The Book of Sprout is a perfect bedtime story for kids between 5-15, best accompanied with a parental explanation ensuring both correct interpretation and further conversation.

The Greenleaf Audiobooks and NetGalley for this ARC!

Four Point Five Stars
The Book of Sprout is an absolutely enchanting modern folktale that beautifully balances a whimsical adventure with a deep, profound philosophy about life—all delivered in a way that is perfectly understandable and resonant for middle-grade children. The audio story effortlessly pulls you into the life of Sprout, a young boy who is gifted a beautifully handcrafted, yet entirely blank, leather-bound book that bears only his name.
To fill those pages, he has to pull up his roots and step into the unknown.
Each of the characters like the miller, the ‘knight’, Dawn, the old hag, the wizard and finally the Gardener, serves as a stepping stone, for both Sprout's adventure and the book's deeper philosophical themes about growth, taking risks, and understanding our own life stories.
The author’s narration brings a warmth and life to the audio format, making it feel like a timeless tale being told by a loved one.
Highly recommended for young readers (and adults!) who love stories that feed the soul as much as the imagination.

As both a teacher and a parent, I can see The Book of Sprout as a good choice for a read-aloud to share and discuss with a child. The copy I received is an audio version of the text, but I would suggest listening along, as there are so many teachable moments to share. The author/narrator does a good job with the pacing of the reading of this book.
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with an ALC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

A very cute book about a child having a magical adventure of his own, determined to write the book of his life.

I can absolutely see this being a multiple day bedtime story. One chapter a day.

After all. It has everything: knights, dragons, heroes, damsels in distress, hags and wizards.

I loved this small audiobook during work !