In this wordless picture book, a little girl collects wildflowers while her distracted father pays her little attention. Each flower becomes a gift, and whether the gift is noticed or ignored, both giver and recipient are transformed by their encounter. "Written" by award-winning poet JonArno Lawson and brought to life by illustrator Sydney Smith, Sidewalk Flowers is an ode to the importance of small things, small people, and small gestures.
"An emotionally moving, visually delightful ode to the simple powers of observation and empathy." -- Kiera Parrott, School Library Journal
"In graphic novel-style panels, readers see what she sees: colorful weeds and wildflowers springing up from cracks in the pavement. She begins to collect these 'sidewalk flowers' as they make their way past shops, across bustling avenues, and through a city park. Halfway through their journey, the little girl surreptitiously begins giving pieces of her bouquet away: a dandelion and some daffodils to a dead bird on a pathway; a sprig of lilac to an older man sleeping on a bench; daisies in the hair of her mother and siblings. With each not-so-random act of kindness, the scenes fill with more and more color, until the pen-and-ink drawings are awash in watercolor, her world now fully alive and vibrant....This is a book to savor slowly and then revisit again and again." — Kiera Parrott, School Library Journal
Recommended Age | 4 - 8 |
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Author | JonArno Lawson |
Illustrator | Sydney Smith |
ISBN | 1554984319 |
Publication Date | Mar 17, 2015 |
Publisher | Groundwood Books |
Language | English |