Megan Clendenan on Just in Case: Saving Seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault

In this post, we feature award-winning author Megan Clendenan, whose previous titles include What Do We Eat? How Humans Find, Grow and Share Food. You can hear her speak about her new informational picture book, Just in Case: Saving Seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, illustrated by Brittany Cicchese. It has been named the 2026 Orbis Pictus Award winner, a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection, and many other honors. You can also try her “invitation to imagine” activities and find other resources to explore. Thanks for joining us, and let us know what you think in the comments below!

Megan Clendenan and the cover of Just in Case

Just in Case: Saving Seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault

Written by Megan Clendenan and illustrated by Brittany Cicchese
Published by Charlesbridge
Release date: October 14, 2025

Did you know that 800 miles from the North Pole, buried deep in a mountain is priceless treasure? On the Arctic island of Spitsbergen in Norway, polar bears roam and there are no gardens, forests, or fields. But deep underground, the Svalbard Seed Bank protects more than 580 million seeds. How and why was the vault built? What’s it like inside? How does the vault protect the seeds? Learn about the rescue of the greatest treasure on earth: seeds for our food. This inside look into the storage and history of one of our most important natural resources shows how this collection can help to save our future through unique conservation. Young readers will come away with a better understanding of the importance of natural resources and protecting planet Earth.

An interior spread from Just in Case showing the exterior entrance to the seed vault: a slim rectangle rising out of snowy glaciers.

An interior spread from Just in Case showing the building of the seed vault inside the glacier, with workers digging tunnels to house the facility.

Explore Just in Case: Saving Seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault

Listen to Megan Clendenan talking with TeachingBooks about creating Just in Case: Saving Seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. You can click the player below or experience the recording on TeachingBooks, where you can read along as you listen, and also translate the text to another language.

Invitation to Imagine

TeachingBooks asks each author or illustrator on our Virtual Book Tour to share a writing prompt, a drawing exercise, or just an interesting question to spark curiosity and creativity. Enjoy the following activities contributed by Megan Clendenan.

Imagination Activity with Megan Clendenan

Seeds are valuable treasures for our future. They can be saved anywhere by anyone—even you! Imagine what you would like to grow in your own garden. On a piece of paper, begin by making a list of the seeds you would like to plant. Then, draw and color your garden!

Finish This Sentence . . . with Megan Clendenan

As part of our Virtual Book Tour, TeachingBooks asks authors and illustrators to complete short sentence prompts. Enjoy the response from Megan Clendenan.

“A surprising thing that helps me work is…”

A surprising thing that helps me work is going for a walk outside! Moving around and being outdoors helps me to think about problems in a new way. Often, I come up with solutions while I’m walking, and I write them down in my phone. Then, when I return to my desk, I have fresh ideas ready to use.

“While working on this book, I was surprised to learn that…”

While working on this project, I was surprised to discover or learn that many local libraries have a “seed library,” where people can borrow and exchange local seeds. Check out your local library!

Thank you!

To wrap up this Virtual Book Tour, we thank Megan Clendenan for signing a book for all of us.

The title page of Just in Case, signed by the author, Megan Clendenan. it shows a wooden crate filled with envelopes containing seeds, surrounded by fruits and potted seedlings.

More Connections to Megan Clendenanand Just in Case: Saving Seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault

Explore all of the titles featured in the TeachingBooks Virtual Book Tour: one link with author interviews, lesson plans, activities, and more!

All text and images are courtesy of Megan Clendenan, Brittany Cicchese, and Charlesbridge and may not be used without expressed written consent.