The moment I saw the girl feeding Venus Fly Traps, I was intrigued. She looks adorable, but the plants are giving off Little Shop of Horrors vibes. Which makes me wonder if this one might be a subtle fit into the very, quickly approaching Halloween season.
PRUNELLA
by Beth Ferry
Illustrated by Claire Keane
Simon & Schuster
Picture Book
40 pages
ages 8 to 12
From New York Times bestselling author Beth Ferry comes a fantastical and unforgettable picture book about an unusual girl whose purple thumb helps her cultivate a truly macabre garden.
When Prunella is born with a purple thumb instead of a green one like her parents, everyone’s stumped. What could it mean? Before long, they find out. Prunella prefers corpse flowers to carnations, fungi to ferns, and poison ivy to petunias. The stickier and scarier the plant, the more Prunella loves it.
And if her poisonous and noxious garden keeps the other neighborhood kids away, it’s probably for the best. But then one day, a curious weed of a different sort pops up…
Should prickly Prunella uproot this tentative new friendship or allow it to flower?
When Prunella is born with a purple thumb instead of a green one like her parents, everyone’s stumped. What could it mean? Before long, they find out. Prunella prefers corpse flowers to carnations, fungi to ferns, and poison ivy to petunias. The stickier and scarier the plant, the more Prunella loves it.
And if her poisonous and noxious garden keeps the other neighborhood kids away, it’s probably for the best. But then one day, a curious weed of a different sort pops up…
Should prickly Prunella uproot this tentative new friendship or allow it to flower?
MY TIDBITS
Even prickly cactuses can be endearing, when they find themselves understood.
Prunella's parents both have green thumbs. So, when she's born with a purple one, they aren't sure what to think. But they do know that she'll love plants. And she does—but not ones with pretty flowers. Prunella likes thorny, stinky, carnivorous and odd ones. Her parents foster her interests, although her plant choices aren't considered normal. Unfortunately, the other kids don't appreciate her garden of cactuses, fungi, thorny plants and more. Although Prunella doesn't have any friends, she loves her plants and begins to grow as thorny as they are. When a young boy asks her about his sick Venus Fly Trap, she finds herself in a new, unexpected situation.
I love the informative and illustrated inside of the book's covers. These present a simple sketch of the plants found in Prunella's garden and give a short description of each one. Since these are real plants, it's a nice way to slide in a bit of botany goodness. This entire book packs lovely illustrations, too. The details and artistic touches mix wonderfully to build each fascinating scene, and these fit very well to the unique garden Prunella grows and cares for. Plus, the illustrations bring across the emotions very well (especially the parents.).
The story flows nicely and never leaves a moment of boredom. Prunella comes across with a pinch of oddness, but is sympathetic. It's easy to connect with her as she finds herself isolated and feels misunderstood, yet still enjoys working with her plants. As the magic of friendship weaves in, a little humor guarantees smiles and even a giggle or too. But it's the odd twist on the plants, which makes this read shine with personality...and will spark curiosity in, at least, several listeners.
It's a fun story with tons of heart, and that despite stinky blossoms and sharp thorns.
And here they are...
Beth Ferry is the author of numerous picture books for children including Roar for Reading, Prunella, and the New York Times bestseller Stick and Stone. She is an avid reader who believes that any day spent with a book is a perfect day. Beth lives with her family by the beach in New Jersey where she finds inspiration in the salty air. In addition to writing picture books, Beth also writes chapter books and graphic novels. She’s the author of the middle grade book Growing Home. You can learn more at BethFerry.com.
Claire Keane studied graphic design at École Supérieure d’Arts Graphiques in Paris, France, where she lived for eight years, until she moved to Los Angeles to work at Walt Disney Animation Studios. During her ten-year tenure there, she designed for Tangled, Frozen, Enchanted, and other films. In 2013, she left to dedicate her time to creating her own stories and to work on various book and animation collaborations at her studio in Venice Beach, California. Now, she is the author and illustrator of many books for kids, including Once Upon a Cloud, Love Is, Why?, and Prunella.
No comments:
Post a Comment