There's treasure buried deep in a mountain at the top of the world.

On the Arctic island of Spitsbergen in Norway, polar bears roam, and there are no gardens, forests, or fields. But buried deep underground, the Svalbard Seed Bank protects more than 580 million seeds with plenty of room for more.

How and why was the vault built? What's it like inside? How does the vault protect the seeds? Learn all about how we safeguard the greatest treasure on earth—seeds for our food.

An inside look into the storage and history of one of our most important natural resources, and how this collection can save our future.

Educator materials here!

Released October 14th, 2025 - Order now wherever books are sold!

Reviews and Accolades

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection!

Starred Review from School Library Journal - “While much has been written about endangered animals, this story about endangered seeds will draw in young readers. VERDICT: This tale has an unusual ecological theme that makes seed preservation not only an essential task, but a sacred one. A must-have story for all libraries.”

Starred Review from the Horn Book - “In this engaging picture book, Clendenan uses simple, clear language to explain why and how the world’s seeds are being preserved at such great effort and expense. The book doesn’t shy away from why we need to take such good care to protect the seeds… but the tone in words and pictures remains calm and reassuring.”

Kirkus Reviews - “A fascinating tale of conservation at its most creative.”

Publisher’s Weekly - “The critical importance of seed-saving is the focal point of this interesting picture book profile of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault and the “priceless treasure” it protects.”

Winner of the 2026 Orbis Pictus Award for Excellence in Non-Fiction for Children, given by the National Council of Teachers of English

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection

An NSTA-CBC Best STEM Book of 2025

An NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book of 2025

A 2026 CCBC Choices selection

An ALA Best Sustainability Book for Kids of 2026

A 2026 Green Earth Book Award Honor Book

A Blueberry Honor Changemaker Book

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection