ASLA Member Plants Seeds of Discovery with Award-Winning Children's Book

A new children’s book is helping young readers discover the connection between nature, design, and the materials we use every day, and ASLA is excited to add the book to its growing STEM Literacy by Design library collection.

Published in 2015, the award-winning children’s book, Come Plant a Seed, was written by ASLA member Courtney McQueen. The book introduces children to an important idea: many of the products we use every day begin with a tree. Through a playful story about two friends planting a seed and imagining what it could grow into, the book explores how wood from trees becomes objects like furniture, sports equipment, instruments, and more.

Designed for K-5 readers, the colorful, imaginative story encourages children to think about where materials come from and how nature supports our daily lives.

Growing Curiosity Through STEM

The STEM Literacy by Design initiative uses books and hands-on activities to introduce students to landscape architecture and the built environment. These resources help educators connect science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) with the landscapes around us, from schoolyards and parks to forests and neighborhoods.

Come Plant a Seed is a natural fit for ASLA’s growing book collection. It invites young learners to explore questions like:

• Where do the materials around us originate?
• How do trees and forests support communities?
• What role do landscape architects play in shaping our environment?

Join the STEM Literacy by Design Movement

Members and educators are invited to join the growing network bringing STEM Literacy by Design to students. When you sign up, you’ll receive a toolkit of books that include plug-and-play design ideas, making it simple to introduce students to environmental literacy and landscape architecture. 

👉 Learn more and sign up while supplies last at  STEM Literacy by Design 

Start by exploring Come Plant a Seed, and help young learners discover how big ideas - and even careers - can grow from a single seed. Bulk copies can be ordered on Amazon.

Explore all Career Discovery resources then Join our Movement to build the next generation of landscape architects!

Learn more About the Author

Author Courtney McQueen, ASLA is a landscape designer whose Radicle Roots children’s book series translates environmental knowledge into engaging stories that help children understand their connection to nature.

With Come Plant a Seed, she encourages young readers to see the possibilities hidden inside a single seed - and to imagine how nature and design shape the world around them.

Please direct questions to Lisa J. Jennings, Senior Manager, Career Discovery and Diversity at discover@ asla.org.