Holly Bloom's Garden [Hardcover]

Sarah Ashman (Author), Nancy Parent (Author), Lori Mitchell (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

The luminous garden scenes and playful language in this tale of late-blooming self-discovery tell the story of Holly Bloom, a girl who wants nothing more than to be a great gardener, but simply doesn’t seem to have the knack. Despite suggestions and support from her green-thumbed mom and siblings, Holly just can't get her garden to bloom. She waters and fertilizes and uses all the right gardening tools, but her daffodils don't grow and her daisies keep drooping. Armed with a positive attitude and unwavering perseverance, Holly finally realizes that she does not need to grow flowers with soil and seeds to be a success. Inspired by her artistic father, she taps into her natural creative abilities and surprises everyone by growing her own unique garden—from paper, paste, pipe cleaners, and paint!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2–Holly Bloom is called "Sweetpea" by her mom and "Ladybug" by her dad. She longs to grow flowers like those of her mother, Iris, and siblings, Rosie and Bud, but she doesn't seem to have the knack. Everything she plants either wilts or droops. Finally, in a burst of inspiration, she creates a glorious garden out of tissue paper, crepe paper, and pipe cleaners that is "guaranteed to last forever." This is a satisfying resolution to a story of perseverance and self-discovery. However, the writing style is a bit precious, and the characters' overly cute names detract from the tale's merit. Lush, detailed drawings in pencil and acrylics fill the pages with sunny cheer.–Sally R. Dow, Ossining Public Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. Holly Bloom comes from a gardening family, but she seems to have a brown thumb. Her mother tells her that some flowers, like some people, are late bloomers, but no matter how hard Holly tries, she still manages to sneeze away the fertilizer and overwater the plants. Finally, Holly sees a way to grow flowers that plays to her strengths: shutting herself in her father's art studio, she makes brilliant paper flowers that fill up the room. The ink-and-watercolor pictures are light and colorful, with, of course, a profusion of flowers filling the pages. A particularly pleasing picture framed in berries and leaves features Holly trying to paint her thumb green. Simply plotted and with a worthwhile message (though it's a bit overstated), the story will resonate with children who may have problems standing out in a family or who haven't found the activity they shine at yet. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Flashlight Press (April 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972922504
• ISBN-13: 978-0972922500
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 10.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,683,618 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Charming and Clever, June 18, 2004

By 

Diana Schuh (Gainesville, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Holly Bloom's Garden (Hardcover)

I've shared this book a dozen times with my 6-year-old son. He gets greatly discouraged when things don't bloom after he's planted seeds, so "Holly Bloom's Garden" gave him the idea of making his own flowers. The book's illustrations are warm and charming and Ashman and Parent tell a good story that should appeal to both boys and girls.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Holly Bloom's Garden Blooms!, May 27, 2004

By 

Anita (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Holly Bloom's Garden (Hardcover)

This is a beautiful book for children of all ages. I have three nieces ranging in age from 4 to 13 and each enjoyed it at a different level. Wonderful illustrations support a fun and inspiring story. I highly recommend this book!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful book with a great storyline for all., May 15, 2004

By 

"youngns" (san diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Holly Bloom's Garden (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful story about finding ways to be q part of something even though you don't "appear" to have the talent. Holly finds a wonderful way to express her ability to "grow" flowers. The drawings in this book are absolutely beautiful and the attention to detail is amazing. Anyone who loves flowers or gardening, both young and old, will love this book! A great gift.