After tons of rain (our 'creek road' went underwater twice!), the sun is now shining full-force, and wow! Everything is growing fast. (Yep, lots of mowing and such). Today's read sprouts with the right atmosphere...even if sunflowers aren't in season quite yet. But I'm expecting simply a cute tale with a bit of nature and fun. Also, I'm hoping the illustrations will make me smile. After all, the cover definitely hints that they will.
Ready to take a peek with me?
EMMA'S SUNFLOWER
by Phillipa Warden
Purple Butterfly Press
Picture Book
36 pages
ages 4 to 8
COMING...
MAY 24th!!!
Emma’s Sunflower is a lovely story of how things we once thought lost can return to us in the most unexpected ways. From her garden, Emma sees how a family of Finches, one hungry Crow and some spilled seeds, can lead to a wonderful birthday surprise. Told with beautiful illustrations, your child will learn about the seasons, counting, nature and ultimately Hope, all told using a dyslexia friendly font. The author is British, so don’t forget to keep an eye out for those subtle differences in spelling and expressions with your kids. Will you follow Emma on this learning journey to see how slight mistakes can turn into one of nature’s masterpieces?
GOODREADS / AMAZON / B&N / BOOK DEPOSITORY
MY TIDBITS
Birds, nature, and seeds come together in a gentle tale.
Emma enjoys watching the birds in the backyard, but when a crow visits the birdfeeder, the peace and harmony is destroyed. The seeds drop to the ground in a mess, and Emma's sad for the waste as well as the poor birds unable to approach the feeder while the crow is there. While she can scare the crow away, the seeds might hold a surprise in the future.
This is a cute read, which shows how rich nature can be, even in a backyard. Emma's love and respect for the animals and life is clear and gives the read a calming tone. The illustrations reinforce this atmosphere with soothing color tones and steering clear of definite, sharp lines. So, just reading this book sets a gentle mind set, before the problem sinks in.
There is a slight bit of tension when the crow flies in, and readers will identify with Emma's frustration. The illustrator keeps the crow in a special place, adding a bit of humor to the passing time. When the ending arrives, the crow disappears (where did it go?), but another surprise pops up. So, there's always something going on to enjoy and watch.
The message is clear and one which encourages patience. At the end of the book, there are a few extra hints and questions to expand this read into a bit of conversation and more. It works great for groups, who are working with the theme of seeds, or is enjoyable enough on its own.
2 comments:
This is a lovely concept. Sounds like a sweet read that gives kids something to think about.
Thanks so much for a great review! We're so glad you love this book as much as we do!
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