It’s my eldest daughter’s birthday today, so to celebrate, I thought I’d give her flowers, or more precisely, share two picture books with greenery and blossoms at their heart.
Florette
Author & Illustrator: Anna Walker
Publisher/Date: Clarion Books/2018
Ages: 4-8
Themes: gardening; nature in urban areas; moving; friendship
Short Synopsis (from Goodreads):
When Mae’s family moves to a new home, she wishes she could bring her garden with her. She’ll miss the apple trees, the daffodils, and chasing butterflies in the wavy grass. But there’s no room for a garden in the city. Or is there?
Read a review at Design of the Picture Book .
The Seeds of Friendship
Author & Illustrator: Michael Foreman
Publisher/Date: Candlewick Press/2015
Ages: 4-8
Themes: gardening; nature in urban areas; moving; friendship; immigrant
Short Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Adam felt alone in the strange, new city. He missed the colours and friendships of his faraway home. But when a teacher at school gives him a few seeds, she plants an idea in him – an idea that could transform his grey world forever. Michael Foreman’s beautifully-illustrated story is a powerful fable of how friendship can grow in our world.
Read a review at Kirkus Reviews.
I paired these books because they both feature children who have moved to gray urban spaces and who strive to bring nature’s greenery to the city. In Florette, Mae draws trees on empty moving boxes, races to visit pebble-covered parks, and then rescues a small sprout from outside a florist shop window. From that sprout, she grows both a garden and finds friends. In The Seeds of Friendship, Adam, a young immigrant, seeks to adapt to life in a cold, gray city. When a teacher gifts him some seeds, he grows a rooftop garden, bringing color to the city and finding friends. I especially liked how both books depict nature-loving children who persevere to bring what they love to their new homes.
Looking for similar reads?
See A Piece of Home.
Wander, Ponder, Write 