Grandma's Purple Flowers [School & Library Binding]

Adjoa J. Burrowes (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Grandma's house has always been the narrator's favorite place. On her way to visit Grandma, she plucks daisies and sunflowers, and best of all, purple flowers--Grandma's favorites. Whenever Grandma sees the purple flowers, her smile grows wide--like the Mississippi River.

One winter day Grandma is too tired to bake, but she rubs her grandchild's back gently and ties a ribbon that unraveled in her hair. Later that night, Grandma passes away, and all winter long, the young girl is sad, missing her grandmother terribly. When spring finally arrives, and flowers begin to shoot up from the ground, the girl discovers her own special way to accept her grandmother's death and keep Grandma with her always.

In this moving story, author/illustrator, Adjoa J. Burrowes deals sensitively with the difficult experience of death, and tells a moving story that celebrates the triumph of hope and spirit during a difficult time.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-A child narrates this bittersweet story about her relationship with her favorite grandma. The text uses seasons of the natural world as a metaphor for the human life cycle. In summer, the youngster describes how she joyfully skips through the park in anticipation of reaching her grandma's house, where "A big hug and a smile are always waiting-." The little girl picks lovely purple flowers for the woman, and she, in turn, bakes corn muffins. The story's inevitable conclusion is foreshadowed during fall when the two discuss the death of falling leaves and the grandmother's vitality visibly slows. Then one wintry night, the woman dies. The youngster's palpable grief is only assuaged in spring when she sees purple flowers sprouting up behind her beloved grandmother's former residence. The hopeful ending emphasizing the cyclical nature of existence makes this story particularly effective bibliotherapy. Expressive and striking cut-paper collages that incorporate watercolors and acrylics enhance the simple story about two loving African-American relatives.
Rosalyn Pierini, San Luis Obispo City-County Library, CA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 4-8. The young African American narrator adores being with her grandmother, who always has a hug and smile waiting. In the summer, the girl picks purple flowers: Grandma loves purple. In the autumn, the girl rakes leaves. When she asks why they fall and die, Grandma tells her, "Everything has its time." When the snow falls, it is Grandma's time, and the girl endures the winter, thinking about how much she misses her grandmother. Then spring comes, the flowers bloom, and the girl sees the first purple flower poking out from the ground. The girl wants to cry, but she feels happy, too. Many books for young children deal with death, but few have pictures that are so winning. Cut paper, watercolors, and acrylics are combined beautifully to depict each season --falling orange and yellow leaves, drifts of white snow. Although the collages are not as technically sophisticated as in some recent offerings, they burst with life as they capture the smallest nuances of emotion between grandmother and granddaughter. The first-person text is simple, moving, and hopeful: "When I see purple flowers now, I think of Grandma." Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• School & Library Binding: 32 pages
• Publisher: Lee & Low Books (October 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1880000733
• ISBN-13: 978-1880000731
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 9.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,450,642 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vibrant Illustrations!, September 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Grandma's Purple Flowers (School & Library Binding)

Using vibrantly colored collages, author/illustrator Adjoa Burrowes (illustrator of "My Steps," a Parent Choice Award winner) offers young readers not only a warm intergenerational story about a young girl and her grandma, but a look at how Hyacinth works her way through her grandma's death. Enhanced with acrylics and watercolors, the three dimensional effect of the pictures will give readers the feeling of traveling along with Hyacinth as she goes through the park and down the hill to regularly visit her grandma. "A big hug and a smile are always waiting" for her. She gives grandma purple flowers that she has picked along the way and grandma offers her sweet corn muffins. Hyacinth enjoys the freedom of making the journey through the park as much as she enjoys doing simple activities with grandma - baking and hair combing. While raking leaves, Hyacinth asks her grandma, "Why do leaves have to fall and die?" Grandma replies, "Everything has its time." One winter day, Hyacinth visits her grandma and finds her ill. Grandma eventually dies and the young girl cries and mourns her beloved grandparent all winter. She must find a way to overcome her grief. In the spring, she finds a way to cope with her loss. In a youthful manner, Burrowes' illustrations match the mood shifts of the story, from exuberant with smiling houses, to sorrowful with an empty park bench surrounded by dirty gray snow. There are many fanciful details in the illustrations as well as subtle ethnic details in the story. This is an important book about the natural life cycle and coping with death. It parallels the seasons and the growth cycle of plants. Burrowes handles this subject with confidence and with an updated feel by using an African-American family.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Soothing, December 10, 2005

By 

Cheryl Robinson "Just About Books Radio Talk ... (www.JustAboutBooksTalkShow.com Mon 9PM -EST) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Grandma's Purple Flowers (School & Library Binding)

Grandma's Purple Flowers is a tender, loving story of a child's attachment to her grandmother, who she loves to pick purple flowers for, and the closeness they share. They discuss the changing of seasons and how the leaves fall and flowers die-everything has its time. Then one night her grandmother dies. The child grieves, but soon realizes that when the purple flowers bloom they remind her of her grandmother. The illustration of the seasons is beautiful.

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfull book to prepare child for death, February 11, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Grandma's Purple Flowers (School & Library Binding)

I read this book at the library to my 3 daughters. It started conversation around the coming death of my mother, their grandmother. She is terminally ill with cancer and she has a short time here with us. This book helped my girls to see that even though it may hurt to not see their grandma again they can cherish the good memories they have of her. I would reccommend this book to anyone who wants to prepare a child for loss of a loved one.