Once upon a time, deep in a cozy bed of soft brown soil, lived a tiny seed named Sprout. Sprout wore a tough outer jacket called a seed coat that kept him safe and warm all winter long.

Sprout dreamed of seeing the world above the dirt. But to wake up and start his journey, he needed three special ingredients: water, warmth, and fresh air.

One gentle spring morning, cool rain dripped into the earth. Drip, drop, drip! Sprout drank up the fresh water, swelling up bigger and bigger!

Sprout absorbed the water, his seed coat softened and cracked wide open. This special waking-up moment is called germination.

Sprout grew a tiny white root called a radicle. Down, down, down into the dark earth it pushed, anchoring Sprout tightly so he wouldn't blow away

Sprout’s root system branched out like little fingers. The roots drank up fresh water and scooped up healthy minerals hidden deep underground.

Hello, big world! Sprout unfolded his first two special seed leaves, called cotyledons. These leaves gave Sprout built-in snacks while he was still tiny.