Jump into Spring with Holly Bloom’s Garden!
Written by: Sarah Ashman and Nancy Parent and Illustrated by: Lori Mitchell
Holly Bloom feels she doesn’t measure up in her family of gardeners. Every gardening project that seems so easy to her parents and siblings, ends in disaster when Holly tries it. Holly tries everything, even painting her thumb green. Holly’s green thumb disappeared in a few hours and he dahlias drooped not long after. Her mom told her she was a late bloomer, like the flowers she was trying to grow. She tried to be patient, she tried fertilizer and she even tried the right tools that her brother told her about. Holly couldn’t figure out why her flowers didn’t grow. But armed with a winning positive attitude, Holly spend all night making her own garden! All she needed was a little artistic motivation (her father was an artist), some paper, markers, paint, pipe cleaners and glue, and she made a beautiful, colorful and unique instant garden.
Holly Bloom’s Garden is a fun story for children ages 4to 8 that teaches them unique problem solving and positive thinking. It’s Holly’s perseverance that pays off in the end. She doesn’t quit until she finds a solution to her problem. Many children just give up when they can’t do something. This book teaches that children can do anything they set their mind to. Sometimes it can be challenging to stick with a project, but with the right attitude, kids can solve any type of problem. Children need to remember that not everyone has the same talents. Holly didn’t have the gardening green thumb, but she sure could create her own paper garden with her creative and artistic talent.
Children today are given the answers and easy ways out of many things. If only they would seek out creative solutions to problems instead of taking the easy way. It is not only rewarding but builds self-esteem.
My favorite part is where Holly paints her thumb green. I remember doing that when I was a kid. My mom always had beautiful flower gardens and my dad would talk about her green thumb. I colored my thumb green, but like Holly, it didn’t help my seeds sprout.
Mom Does Reviews highly recommends this fun story for kids ages 4 to 8. If your child is struggling to do a certain task, they are sure to get some inspiration from Holly’s creative solution!
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Don’t forget to visit Flash Light Press for Holly Bloom’s Activity Guide. You can make craft projects, find nature ideas, make “Worms in Mud” dessert and do some fun word activities.
About the authors: Sarah Ashman is the administrator of howardashman.com, a website celebrating the life and work of her late brother, the lyricist and director Howard Ashman. She worked for many years as a talent representative, specializing in comics and humor. She was Vice President and Director of Comic Arts for United Feature Syndicate/Newspaper Enterprise Association where she successfully acquired and developed Scott Adam’s Dilbert and other comics for newspaper syndication. At UFS/NEA she also edited Charles Shulz’s Peanuts and Jim Davis’
Garfield among scores of others, and a biography of Charles Schulz called Good Grief. She also collaborated with Nancy Parent on Meditations for Toddlers Who Do Too Much (Andrews and McMeel, 1996)
Nancy Parent is a publishing professional who has written and developed several lines of books as well as extensive collateral materials for Disney Mouse Works. She is the author of over 75 children’s books including Oh Bother! It’s the Easter Bunny (PW Children’s Bestsellers’ List). Several of her children’s books were published with Scholastic and
Reader’s Digest Children’s Books. Nancy began her publishing career at Grosset and Dunlap, editing mass-market and trade children’s and YA paperbacks.
About the illustrator: Lori Mitchell’s first children’s book was Different Just Like Me (Charlesbridge, 1999) which she also authored. Lori appeared on Oprah!, and The Today Show in connection with Different Just Like Me, which was highly acclaimed (American Booksellers Association Kids Pick of the Lists 1999, Read America! Collection 1999, Best Children’s Fiction, San Diego Book Awards 1999, Early Childhood News Directors’ Choice 2000, Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People for 2000, chosen as Best Children’s Book, San Diego Magazine Book Awards 2000, selected as Outstanding by the Parent Council, Fall, 1999). She also works as an editorial and advertising illustrator. Lori lives in San Diego, California.
Disclosure: I received this book for review purposes. I was not given any monetary compensation. All opinions are my won. There may be affiliate links in this post.