Review by Booklist Review
April is dressed in a cheerful red, but the people and buildings around her are dull gray. Everyone rushes by, phones in hand, looking down instead of up. Thinking of her grandmother lifts April's mood, and the gouache, colored-pencil, and pastel illustrations become much sunnier. Grandma loved colorful flowers, especially dandelions, often dismissed by others who say they are weeds or make them sneeze. A shopkeeper, however, remembers how as a child she loved to wish on dandelions and scatter their seeds. April wishes she could find just one dandelion seed; then, amazingly, several come floating by. In secret, she plants them. Remembering Grandma's words about patience, she waits and hopes. After the flowers finally grow and bloom, their seeds are scattered and more flowers appear, and the people change, too. As they slow down to enjoy the dandelions, they plant different flowers and their interior and exterior landscapes change. The fablelike tone of the story inspires readers to consider what small changes they could make to create more joy and beauty in the world.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A young girl's search for a dandelion revives an entire community. April looks out her window. The world is gray, and everyone seems "too busy to laugh or look up at the sky." April recalls her grandmother's favorite flower, a dandelion, which symbolizes happiness. Could a dandelion seed help lift people's spirits? The simple, evenly paced, uplifting narrative follows April as she asks a gardener, a bus driver, and a shopkeeper their opinions on the flower, only to receive mostly indifferent responses: "Dandelions are a weed!" "They make me sneeze!" "I haven't seen a dandelion in years…But when I was little, we used to wish on them." April wishes for a dandelion seed and is delighted when several float to her doorstep. She carefully plants them one rainy day. As they grow, joy spreads, enveloping the community in an oversized garden of blossoms. As more dandelion seeds float along, people wish "for more tiny wonders to grow." Early on, the yellow light from April's room and her bright red attire offer a stark contrast to the gray-hued town, rendered with simple lines and highlights of red. Later, warm swirls of color blend together to create engaging seasonal backdrops to the endearing cartoons. April is light-skinned and dark-haired; her community is diverse. Full of hope, warmth, and charm, a reminder that it's the little things that matter. (guide to flowers and their meanings) (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
