Sunflower Sal (Prairie Paperback Books) [Paperback]

Janet S. Anderson (Author), Elizabeth Johns (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up | Series: Prairie Paperback Books

"Sal desperately wants to make a quilt, but her big hands just don't seem to have the knack of doing such small, fussy work. What she is good at is raising sunflowers. . . . A late-summer climb to the top of Bare Hill reveals that the neat squares of fields and pasture below have been 'stitched together with sunflowers--Sal has made her quilt. It's a lovely story from Anderson about finding one's true gifts, with sun-washed oil paintings in a palette of gold, brown, and green" ("Kirkus Review").

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4?Sal, a strapping farm girl, thinks it is her size that makes her unable to sew a quilt like her grandmother, but Gran finally convinces her: "It's just that your talent isn't sewing." Sal eventually finds her own ability as she discovers the pleasure of growing sunflowers; by the end of the story, she has made a living quilt of sorts by planting them around the edges of the fields and farmyard. The boldly primitive oil on canvas illustrations are just right for Gran's quilts and Sal's blossoms. Scenes of life on the farm are presented sometimes on bordered pages, sometimes on double-page spreads. The paintings are also a little exaggerated to match the stretches of realism in the story. The text and illustrations create an appealing setting for the theme of finding one's own way to make the world more beautiful.?Carolyn Jenks, First Parish Unitarian Church, Portland, ME
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

Sal desperately wants to make a quilt, but her big hands just don't seem to have the knack of doing such small, fussy work. What she is good at is raising sunflowers, hundreds and thousands of giant yellow blooms by the back door of the farmhouse, behind the garden, on either side of the lane, and all along the dusty roads. A late-summer climb to the top of Bare Hill reveals that the neat squares of fields and pasture below have been ``stitched together with sunflowers''--Sal has made her quilt. It's a lovely story from Anderson (Going Through the Gate, p. 1106) about finding one's true gifts, with sun-washed oil paintings in a palette of (what else?) gold, brown, and green. Put this next to Barbara Cooney's Miss Rumphius (1982) and the Johnny Appleseed tales, about other characters whose horticultural labors of love transformed landscapes. (Picture book. 6-10) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company (March 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807576638
• ISBN-13: 978-0807576632
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.8 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,112,374 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Assisted by her family, Sal finds her "gift" by thinking big, January 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Sunflower Sal (Hardcover)

Sal is a big girl in search of her special talents. She admires her grandmother's quilting abilities and tries to quilt herself, but is dissatisfied with the results. With supportive encouragement from her family, Sal pursues her gift of planting sunflower seeds, and is beautifully rewarded at harvest time. A great book to promote positive self-esteem (especially in girls). Warm, lovely illustrations.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Warm and wonderful, Sal teaches self-acceptance, September 7, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Sunflower Sal (Hardcover)

The author has created an endearing character who has real-life concerns of size and self-acceptance. The book is about sunflowers and families, but it is really a tool to help children appreciate their own unique abilities and perspectives. Sunflower Sal is an unpretentious child who loves her family, her life and the large sunflowers she plants yearly. She learns to love her size, as well. By accepting that some things come naturally to her, she gives up her struggle and "thinks big". Her contribution is heart warming, and very like Sal herself.