The Flower Girl

February 1, 2001
PreS-Gr 3-Using rhyming verse, this sweet little book describes a wedding from a flower girl's point of view. The pink-clad child shares her experience from trailing rose petals down the aisle to waving good-bye to the happy couple. Though the rhymes are sometimes a bit soppy ("These are their vows:/To live without strife/To be a good husband/To be a good wife"), the rhythm never falters. The service shown is a religious one ("This is the pastor/And this is the book"). Delicate watercolors done in pastel shades punctuated by black and white capture the action. Less a story than a catalog of what to expect as a flower girl, this book's true purpose as a gift book is revealed in the inscription opposite the title page. However, with the constant demand for this topic, libraries may want to consider this title as an additional purchase. For stories about flower girls, try Angela Johnson's The Wedding (Orchard, 1999), Gail Herman's Flower Girl (Grosset & Dunlap, 1996), or Marc Brown's D. W. Thinks Big (Little, Brown, 1993).-Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, Eldersburg, MD

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