Holly Bloom's Garden

August 1, 2004
PreS-Gr 2-Holly Bloom is called "Sweetpea" by her mom and "Ladybug" by her dad. She longs to grow flowers like those of her mother, Iris, and siblings, Rosie and Bud, but she doesn't seem to have the knack. Everything she plants either wilts or droops. Finally, in a burst of inspiration, she creates a glorious garden out of tissue paper, crepe paper, and pipe cleaners that is "guaranteed to last forever." This is a satisfying resolution to a story of perseverance and self-discovery. However, the writing style is a bit precious, and the characters' overly cute names detract from the tale's merit. Lush, detailed drawings in pencil and acrylics fill the pages with sunny cheer.-Sally R. Dow, Ossining Public Library, NY

Copyright 2004 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2004
PreS-Gr. 2. Holly Bloom comes from a gardening family, but she seems to have a brown thumb. Her mother tells her that some flowers, like some people, are late bloomers, but no matter how hard Holly tries, she still manages to sneeze away the fertilizer and overwater the plants. Finally, Holly sees a way to grow flowers that plays to her strengths: shutting herself in her father's art studio, she makes brilliant paper flowers that fill up the room. The ink-and-watercolor pictures are light and colorful, with, of course, a profusion of flowers filling the pages. A particularly pleasing picture framed in berries and leaves features Holly trying to paint her thumb green. Simply plotted and with a worthwhile message (though it's a bit overstated), the story will resonate with children who may have problems standing out in a family or who haven't found the activity they shine at yet.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)