A Magician’s Flower
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
A charming children’s tale about finding beauty in friendship and nature, a journey full of adventure while learning to appreciate things just as they are — lushly illustrated by the New York Times featured artist-author of Rosie Runs.
As two plant-loving friends tend to their sapling, they realize what’s tiny can also be mighty!
Willow, Aspen, and Eulalia (their faithful chicken) find a mysterious seedling in a neglected corner of their greenhouse. Unable to identify the sprout from their plant guide, they name it Raisin—after a tiny but clever creature from one of Aspen’s poems. Each morning Willow races to the greenhouse with her watering can, yet Raisin remains small as ever. Hoping the salt air will usher new growth, the two friends strap Raisin snugly to their basket and cycle to the bustling seashore. Traversing the world with determination and spirit, Aspen and Willow set out on a quest to help Raisin grow.
A Magician’s Flower invites young readers to befriend nature and find joy in the many-colored details around them. Marika Maijala’s bold lines illuminate this enchanting tale of friendship, exploration, and courage for readers ages 5-9.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Young narrator Willow, portrayed with brown skin, lives in a seaside town whose pastel buildings are sheltered by lush greenery. Willow's pale-skinned friend Aspen, a poet, wears a red beret, while Willow, who sports a large sun hat, enjoys spending time in the greenhouse with chicken Eulalia, an "excellent assistant." It's in the greenhouse one day that Eulalia finds a small, sickly plant. Across naif-style spreads loosely stroked in petit-four greens, lavenders, and pinks, Maijala (Rosie Runs) shows the children pondering the plant's origin. They name it Raisin after the hero in one of Aspen's poems, who vanquishes the frightening sea serpent Sampi via a "daring game of cards." When the plant continues to languish, the children transport Raisin and Eulalia to the seashore. Then, one night, Willow takes Raisin into the moonlight, encouraging the plant ("Raisin might be small but was still mightier than the Sampi"), an act that leads to the discovery of Raisin's remarkable secrets. Conflict barely ripples this winding, cozy story about adopting a living thing and taking steps to see to its needs. Ages 5–9.
