Growing Resilience, One Little Sap at a Time
One of the most rewarding parts of sharing The Resilient Little Sap is watching children connect with its message—and then experience it firsthand by planting a tree of their own.
Over the past few weeks, that happened in two special places, reminding us that stories have a way of taking root when they are paired with something tangible.
A Story Comes to Life at Mountaineer Imagine Camp
On June 5, The Resilient Little Sap was featured at Mountaineer Imagine Camp on Appalachian State University's Hickory Campus.
After reading the story together, campers planted their own tree seedlings to take home and grow. While I wasn't able to attend in person, Little Saps was honored to provide the seedlings for the activity.
The book tells the story of a young tree facing challenges and learning to persevere through difficult circumstances. Along the way, children discover lessons about resilience, courage, growth, and finding strength even when life doesn't go as planned.
There's something powerful about hearing those lessons and then holding a living tree in your hands. As the campers planted their seedlings, they weren't just taking home a tree—they were taking home a reminder that growth often happens slowly, quietly, and one season at a time.
We're grateful to the teachers, organizers, and campers who made the day so special.
Planting Seeds of Hope at Watauga County Library
Then on June 15, we had another opportunity to share the story—this time at the Watauga County Library Youth Services program.
Author Anna Welsh joined us to read Resilient: The Strongest Little Sap, and my daughter Emma and I had the privilege of helping with the planting activity afterward.
Each child decorated their own flower pot before planting a Little Saps seedling to take home. The room was filled with creativity, excitement, and lots of questions about how to care for their tiny trees.
Watching children personalize their pots and proudly carry home their seedlings was a beautiful reminder that stories and experiences often leave a deeper impression than either one can alone.
Why This Story Matters
When Anna first wrote The Resilient Little Sap, she created more than a children's book. She created a conversation starter about perseverance, hope, and the challenges we all face as we grow.
As we've shared before, the story was inspired by the resilience we witnessed throughout our mountain communities. Trees have a remarkable way of teaching us about endurance. They bend in storms, weather difficult seasons, and continue growing year after year.
Children understand these lessons more naturally than we sometimes realize.
By pairing the story with a living tree, we're helping kids see that resilience isn't just something they read about—it's something they can watch unfold in their own backyard.
Bring a Resilient Little Sap Event to Your Community
One thing we've learned from both of these events is simple: kids love this activity.
They love hearing the story. They love decorating pots. They love getting their hands dirty. And they love taking home a tree they can care for and watch grow over time.
If you're part of a school, library, church, camp, homeschool group, scout troop, or community organization, we'd love to help you create a similar experience.
We've had the pleasure of hosting several book readings with Anna over the years. As a retired kindergarten teacher and former art center owner, she has a natural ability to connect with children through storytelling, creativity, and hands-on activities. The energy and joy she brings make these events memorable for kids and adults alike.
Little Saps can provide copies of the book and tree seedlings for planting activities, and Anna is always happy to share advice and inspiration for communities interested in creating a similar experience.
Together, the book and the tree create a meaningful experience that children remember long after the event ends.
Because sometimes the best way to teach resilience is to plant it.
Interested in hosting a Resilient Little Sap event in your community?
Contact us to learn more about book and seedling packages and how we can help you get started.
In the meantime, you can shop our Resilient Little Sap gifts here:
→ RESILIENT Gift Set: Small Sapling & Children’s Book
→ RESILIENT Gift Set Deluxe: Small Sapling, Planting Kit & Children’s Book