Review by Booklist Review
Charming illustrations in acryla gouache and pencil introduce readers to a delightful tale of newfound friendship and adventure. Mr. Aster and his small white terrier, Basil, spend their days outside as the gentleman is an avid gardener. He has his daily routines that never vary, and his life is, well, routine. When an unusual seed blows into his yard, he plants it in his greenhouse, watches it grow, and is amazed when the plant blossoms into a Little Green Girl. He doesn't realize it at first, but the small plant will change his life forever. Growing in the garden where he places her, the Little Green Girl makes friends with the dog, a handful of squirrels, and a colony of inquisitive rabbits. But it's the birds' stories of far-off lands that create a yearning in the Little Green Girl and a desire to pull up roots and go exploring. How she silently but determinedly persuades the settled Mr. Aster to ""branch out"" makes for a wonderful, engaging story filled with love and devotion. The intricately detailed, bright, and cheerful pictures, presented in a variety of sizes, are a treat for the eye. This touching story will capture the hearts of readers of all ages.--Maryann Owen Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Mr. Aster, a peaceful gardener dressed in a sweater vest and cap, doesn't like his routine disrupted. Even so, he welcomes a "Little Green Girl"-a seedling-into his care. She sprouts in the greenhouse, and Mr. Aster plants the girl in his walled garden as a topiary. Anchin gently anthropomorphizes the green girl: she has a pineapplelike face and head, leafy limbs, and a shaggy green skirt. When birds visit and tell her of all the sights to be seen beyond the gates, she longs to travel. At last, she convinces Mr. Aster to leave their roots behind, replanting herself in a pot, and the two explore a beach, a forest, a city park, and a desert before returning to the garden. Anchin provides an uplifting message about growing up, leaving comfort zones, embracing opportunities-and the pleasures of travel and home. Ages 3-5. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Mr. Aster, an accomplished and methodical gardener, is caught by surprise one day as an unusual seed blows into his garden. Given his natural propensity to cultivate and nurture plant life, Mr. Aster tends the seed with extreme care. As days pass, he is delightfully surprised as the seed grows into a little green girl shrub, which he plants in a place of prominence in his beautiful garden. Life is happy for Mr. Aster, the green girl, and all of the garden's wildlife until the little girl grows wistful after hearing the animals' stories of life beyond the garden. Reluctantly, Mr. Aster takes the little green girl on a trip beyond their garden walls, where they are introduced to a world of wonder and geographic diversity. This is a touching story of friendship, courage, and adventure. Mr. Aster is content with his settled and private life until the young girl enters his world. He stretches out of his comfort zone and discovers things and places that enrich his quality of life. The gouache and pencil illustrations are robust and colorful, depicting a lush and thriving environment. The illustrations are joyful and rich, supporting yet contrasting with the text and suggesting that there may be even more to experience in life if one takes the risk. VERDICT A magical story of connection that exudes a love of nature, life, and adventure.-Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal School, Middleton, DE
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A girl plant, nurtured from a wind-borne seed, helps a homebody gardener branch out and see the world.Habit-loving Mr. Aster has an abiding love for garden, greenhouse, and home. "But tending a new seed fit nicely into Mr. Aster's routine." Soon, the growing plant achieves a personified sentienceand a gender, courtesy of an omniscient narrator. Mr. Aster, who is white, transplants the Little Green Girl and tells her about "their world." In the walled garden among free-form trees and shrubs, the Little Green Girl is a faceless, leafy figure with a sunflowerlike crown and short, flared skirt accented with orange-yellow blossoms. She enjoys dog Basil and the garden's squirrels and rabbits, but migrating birds, regaling her with their travels, induce wanderlust. Mr. Aster thwarts her attempts to leave, pruning her vining stems and (oddly) bandaging the roots she tries to pull up. Determined, she enjoins the animals to help her dig herself up and confronts Mr. Aster, appearing before him transplanted into a pot, wearing sunglasses. Man, dog, and plant set off, with Anchin's amusing full-bleed and spot illustrations (in acryla gouache and pencil) placing them in tropical, desert, and urban settings. Travel broadens Mr. Aster: He plants succulents and palms, and he even initiates the trio's next trip.Those who can get behind the Little Green Girl's faceless anthropomorphism might find the gambols of this quasi-father-daughter team diverting. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
