I found today’s Perfect Picture Book during a recent bookshop-hopping foray through lower Manhattan. The title and cover illustration called to me – I had to have it, and share it with you.
Title: The Weedflower
Written By: Elizabeth Davaze
Illustrated By: Marianne Ferrer
Publisher/Date: Owlkids Books/2024
Suitable for Ages: 4-8
Themes/Topics: nature, weeds, fable, dandelions
Opening:
At first no one noticed.
No one except Sam.
And she didn’t tell.
Brief Synopsis: First one child and then several school kids delight in the appearance of a tiny yellow flower sprouting between the cement and rubber turf. But when it grows and turns into a giant fluff ball, the adults take notice, much to the children’s dismay.
Links to Resources:
- Discover these weed facts;
- Draw a picture of your favorite flower;
- Try these awesome dandelion activities.
Why I Like this Book:
When I saw the title, I had to know: what is a “weedflower”? On the first spread, it was clear, at least to me and presumably other adults: a weedflower is [spoiler alert] a dandelion. And not just any dandelion, but one that had the audacity and fortitude to blossom at the edges of a school playground.
At first, no one noticed it except one little girl, who kept it a secret. But when it grew larger, other students noticed it, too, and admired and nurtured it, as only kids can admire and nurture what most adults consider a weed. When, at last, it grew even larger and the blossom changed into a “dreamy fluffball”, you can imagine what happened. No responsible adult could let it stay there. It had to be yanked out!
I won’t spoil the ending, but I think one phrase captures it so well: “all the fluff floated away with all the students’ wishes in the breeze.”
I can imagine readings of The Weedflower spurring so many discussions: When is a flower a weed? Why did Sam keep the weedflower’s existence a secret? Who has the right to determine where something grows? How does nature protect itself from human action? In homes and classrooms, kids and adults will be pondering these questions and savoring the gorgeous nature-hued illustrations, as they read and reread The Weedflower.
A Note about Craft:
In a webinar I attended recently, an agent mentioned Margaret Wise Brown’s adage to get down on our hands and knees to adopt the perspective of a young child. From the clever title and kid-friendly language, to images that exaggerate the size of the fluffball and the school principal, it’s clear that Davaze and Ferrer have succeeded in sharing this story in a very kid-relatable way.
This Perfect Picture Book entry is being added to Susanna Hill’s Perfect Picture Book list. Check out the other great picture books featured there!
Wander, Ponder, Write 