The story is set in a greenhouse. The flowers there are of all shapes, sizes and colors. The flowers which grow in the wild outside are jealous of the flowers who live in the hot house, so one of the flowers from the outside sends its spores into the hot house to grow there. The flowers of the hot house are wary of the new plants, but some of the flowers castigate the others, telling them to welcome the strangers. Pretty soon, it is obvious that the new plants are weeds, taking over the water and soil of the hot house flowers; however, some of the flowers are still trying to make the weeds feel "welcome." Before the flowers are all choked off by the weeds, the master of the hot house comes home, clears out the weeds, reminds the flowers of all the good He has given them, and charges them with the defense of their hot house. The next time the outside flowers send spores into the hot house, the flowers are ready.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Elected in 2004 in Bronx County, New York, John H. Wilson currently serves as a Judge in the Criminal Court of Brooklyn, NY. Previously the Law Chairman of the Bronx County Conservative Party, Judge Wilson was born in the Bronx and graduated from Pace University School of Law. In the late 1980's Wilson served as an Assistant District Attorney in Bronx County. He currently resides in New York.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
210 of 230 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It's very difficult for me to give this book merely one star. After all, how can a true American patriot not love a children's story in which a "benevolent master" saves a hot house by rounding up undesirables and destroying them? Unfortunately, the list of undesirable plants the master eliminates is limited to simply dandelions. That's very disappointing.
Surely others could be added to that list. How about plants with minor defects? Why should the hot house's resources be shared with them? The same goes for gardenias. I think most of the other flowers would be offended by the fertilizer gardenias enjoy. And do I even have to mention the pansies?
Hopefully Judge Wilson will correct these oversights in future books.
Surely others could be added to that list. How about plants with minor defects? Why should the hot house's resources be shared with them? The same goes for gardenias. I think most of the other flowers would be offended by the fertilizer gardenias enjoy. And do I even have to mention the pansies?
Hopefully Judge Wilson will correct these oversights in future books.
110 of 123 people found the following review helpful
By Leon Littman
Format:Paperback
Despite my concerns about the illegal immigration and the price paid, particularly in smaller municipalities, for this problem, I think it is dangerous to say the least to send a message to children that the solution is to "weed out" illegal immigrants, though I have a hard time imagining young children understanding an allegory like this as being about defense of country. I also have a hard time understanding what any of this has to do with defense of country, since the 9/11 hijackers were here legally, the Oklahoma City bombers were American, and there is no threat that I know of by Mexicans or other Latino immigrants, who represent the vast majority of illegal immigrants, to take over America. Were the book honest, it might have presented the dandelions as flowers from a place lacking in soil and water looking to share with those who have both in abundance and willing to take the cheap fertilizer and dirty water no one else wants in order to grow.
If a book like this is meant to appeal to Christian parents, I can only say that I was unaware that Jesus turned people away for lacking the proper papers.
If a book like this is meant to appeal to Christian parents, I can only say that I was unaware that Jesus turned people away for lacking the proper papers.
91 of 105 people found the following review helpful
By Greg patriot
Format:Paperback
It's very difficult for me to give this book merely one star. After all, how can a true American patriot not love a children's story in which a "benevolent master" saves a hot house by rounding up undesirables and destroying them? Unfortunately, the list of undesirable plants the master eliminates is limited to simply dandelions. That's very disappointing.
Surely others could be added to that list. How about plants with minor defects? Why should the hot house's resources be shared with them? The same goes for gardenias. I think most of the other flowers would be offended by the fertilizer gardenias enjoy. And do I even have to mention the pansies?
Hopefully Judge Wilson will correct these oversights in future books.
Surely others could be added to that list. How about plants with minor defects? Why should the hot house's resources be shared with them? The same goes for gardenias. I think most of the other flowers would be offended by the fertilizer gardenias enjoy. And do I even have to mention the pansies?
Hopefully Judge Wilson will correct these oversights in future books.
133 of 162 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The best story of the dangers of out-of-town dandelions coming in and destroying the greenhouse with their Camaros, mosques, and ethnic cooking flavors.
You'll be flipping the pages until the climactic finale where the hot house flowers, who love the dandelions despite the different colors of their petals, burn a vitamin spike on the dandelions' front lawn. Highly recommended.
P.S. Also worth noting is the scene where one of the weeds tries to bust up a chiffarobe for a hot house flower, but ends up in hot water as a result!
You'll be flipping the pages until the climactic finale where the hot house flowers, who love the dandelions despite the different colors of their petals, burn a vitamin spike on the dandelions' front lawn. Highly recommended.
P.S. Also worth noting is the scene where one of the weeds tries to bust up a chiffarobe for a hot house flower, but ends up in hot water as a result!
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
Racist/anti-immigration propaganda in the form of children's literature.
May 15, 2012
By AMWilson
Format:Paperback
[...]
Not to mention that the author called for the arrest of Christina Gonzalez (Go Stina), an activist fighting against the racist stop and frisk policy currently utilized by the NYPD, because she called him "a racist pig" and subsequently refused to apologize. Talk about an abuse of power.
Not to mention that the author called for the arrest of Christina Gonzalez (Go Stina), an activist fighting against the racist stop and frisk policy currently utilized by the NYPD, because she called him "a racist pig" and subsequently refused to apologize. Talk about an abuse of power.
46 of 54 people found the following review helpful
By B. Gomez
Format:Paperback
It is obvious that Mr. Wilson is quite ignorant of plant science or of any objective understanding of how plants (and animals, including humans) interact. His perspective of historical events is equally bad. Accordingly, his analogy in his book is misleading and flawed. His book fails to achieve its objective: educate children and the general audience. A weed or dandelion is no lesser a plant than a flower such as a rose. In fact, a rose could very well be a weed itself among dandelions. Perhaps, Mr. Wilson needs some education himself and he would be well served to Google "dandelion." Then he would discover that dandelions have some important medical and health uses. So, a gardener like Mr. Wilson should be more openminded and learn about the weeds in his gardens. He will find out that his weeds have many superior qualities compared to his roses that need a lot of care. How many herbicides do we throw at the dandelions yet they come back again? Do the same to roses and you'll know how fast they die. Further, if Mr. Wilson would dig a little deeper in his garden, he will discover that his roses were weeds too that invaded and stole the garden from it original owners. Such an education would surely enlightened Mr. Wilson and make him understand that at some point in history he too was a weed in the same sense that he uses weed. Rather than voice this form of free speech, Mr. Wilson should embrace history and scientific studies to find better solutions to his dandelion problems.
Thus, I give this book one star or even less. I don't recommend it.
Thus, I give this book one star or even less. I don't recommend it.
56 of 67 people found the following review helpful
By Hauksdottir
Format:Paperback
Dandelions are wonderful!
They have a soft, gentle odor, are bright and cheery harbingers of spring, the young leaves are tasty in salads... and you can even make wine if you don't enjoy flowers. What would childhood be like if nobody could make a wish before releasing a magical drift of seeds?
The only problem with them is that they happily grow anywhere from a well-fertilized lawn to high granite peaks. The same flower which is ruthlessly pulled up in suburbia is protected in Yosemite.
If dandelions were expensive plants requiring equally expensive coddling, they would grace the finest gardens.
Some of our fussy terrarium plants are roadside weeds in Vietnam. The same geranium grown under glass in Michigan is hacked back by machete-wielding transit workers in San Diego. In fact, NO plant grows naturally under glass! They are all wild, somewhere. They are all weeds, somewhere. A learned author would know that.
A better story would have been about chance and luck (where the seed falls) combined with appreciation of the struggle for life (what the seed does with its opportunity). Any child could learn from that!
They have a soft, gentle odor, are bright and cheery harbingers of spring, the young leaves are tasty in salads... and you can even make wine if you don't enjoy flowers. What would childhood be like if nobody could make a wish before releasing a magical drift of seeds?
The only problem with them is that they happily grow anywhere from a well-fertilized lawn to high granite peaks. The same flower which is ruthlessly pulled up in suburbia is protected in Yosemite.
If dandelions were expensive plants requiring equally expensive coddling, they would grace the finest gardens.
Some of our fussy terrarium plants are roadside weeds in Vietnam. The same geranium grown under glass in Michigan is hacked back by machete-wielding transit workers in San Diego. In fact, NO plant grows naturally under glass! They are all wild, somewhere. They are all weeds, somewhere. A learned author would know that.
A better story would have been about chance and luck (where the seed falls) combined with appreciation of the struggle for life (what the seed does with its opportunity). Any child could learn from that!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Rooted in dirt
Was this translated from German, or something? Interesting problem with this allegory: it would appear the "weeds" work harder! Read more
Published 13 months ago by JCV
1.0 out of 5 stars
This Book was Written by a Racist!
This is a racist book and the author should feel bad for writing it. How dare the author write such a book for young children! Poisoning our youth with intolerance!
Published 13 months ago by ConcernedRead
2.0 out of 5 stars
missing
I think the story is missing the part where the greenhouse is built on the dandelions' land without their consent and after killing their ancestors... but, you know, details!
Published 13 months ago by menina veneno
1.0 out of 5 stars
Poorly Written White Supremacist Claptrap
It's not everyday that you find something that could have run in Der Sturmer packaged as a children's book. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Paul Heideman
1.0 out of 5 stars
Is this for real???
This is one of the most racist materials i have seen lately. This Judge (a real New York judge) thinks that he is "so clever" with his Rose and dandelions "allegory". Read more
Published 13 months ago by Mark Staedtler
3.0 out of 5 stars
Serious inaccuracies in this book
This book is full of inaccuracies that would mortify any horticultural enthusiast. First of all, flowers cannot reproduce by "releasing spores" into the hothouse. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Guy in the Bay Area
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dandelions and Liberals!
Really, I see that some pro-weed liberals are harping against this book. So lets make this simple. How many 'liberals' have a HIGH MAINTENANCE hothouse full of DANDELIONS? Read more
Published 15 months ago by Tim Jones
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hot House Flowers
A good read for children and adults.
i bought one for all my friends as a gift.
If you let weeds get out of hand they will take over your garden and kill your... Read more
i bought one for all my friends as a gift.
If you let weeds get out of hand they will take over your garden and kill your... Read more
Published on January 19, 2007 by K. Mccowen
4.0 out of 5 stars
Thoughtful story
I thought the book was written well and told a good, universal lesson.
It would be a nice addition for any library.
It would be a nice addition for any library.
Published on January 9, 2007 by Christopher Wales
1.0 out of 5 stars
Not a good read.
Did not find it interesting at all. Suggest kids should get Tintin or something better written.
Published on December 13, 2006 by marauder
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