2014 ABC Best Books Catalog
..this is a lovely story of learning, sharing, enjoying creation friendship and fun. It is a perfect resource to subtly encourage positive messages around cultural diversity too... one of those resources to have within your continuous provision to support children's positive attitudes around difference. I love the newest Lulu, its just gorgeous and the seeds have been planted in my garden and will send you pictures when they flower :) |
What people are
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Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy
Suggested for the 2015 CLEL Bell Awards in the category "PLAY." "A fabulous book about a little girl who decides that she wants to plant a garden. Her parents take her to the library to check out books and help her get started. The parent/child interaction in this book encourages play among all of the members of a family." Heather Dent Studio Blogspot Top Ten Books for Spring 2015 Why I Love this Book: The style and message to this book is so simple and sweet and made me want to take my son outside immediately afterward to plant our own garden. School Library Journal Lola loves her book of garden poems. In fact, reading it inspires her to plant her own garden, so she and her mother look at flowers in books at the library, and she chooses her favorites. They purchase seeds, and Lola plants them and marks the rows with the seed packets. While she waits for something to appear, she makes her own garden book and includes her favorite poem, "Mary Mary." Finally, Lola sees tiny green shoots. She watches as her flowers grow higher and higher. Flowers are everywhere. Lola invites her friends for a picnic, because the best part of having a garden is sharing it. This fourth, sweet story about Lola delivers with brightly colored acrylic depictions of an adorable child sharing special moments with her mother, reading books, and patiently waiting for her seeds to grow. Lola's bright, cherubic face shows curiosity, joy, and determination as she completes her project. Large, clear type allows for beginning readers to share the story with their parents. Engaging and inspiring to new gardeners everywhere, Lola is a delight. —Carol Connor, Cincinnati Public Schools, OH Kirkus Reviews Hoping to have a garden like the one in her poetry book, Lola plants seeds, waits and weeds, and finally celebrates with friends. The author and illustrator of Lola Loves Stories (2010) and its companion titles take their appealing character outside. Inspired by her favorite poem, the nursery rhyme “Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary” (repeated on the front endpapers), Lola chooses her favorite flowers from library books. Helped by her parents, she grows a grandly diverse flower garden, just right for a celebration with peas and strawberries from the family plot. Beardshaw’s acrylic illustrations show her garden in all its stages. They also show the copper-toned preschooler reading on her mother’s lap, making a flower book, a beaded string with bells and shells, a little Mary Mary doll and cupcakes for the celebration. Her bunchy ponytails are redone, and her flower shirt is perfect for the party. Not only has she provided the setting; she makes up a story for her friends. The simple sentences of the text and charming pictures make this a good choice for reading aloud or early reading alone. On the rear endpapers, the nursery rhyme has been adapted to celebrate “Lola, Lola, Extraordinary.” It’s gratifying to see Lola’s love of books leading her to new experiences. (Picture book. 3-6) Red Reading Hub - review site The adorable Lulu is back with a book-inspired activity: this time she wants to be like Mary Mary in her favourite poem from the garden poems anthology. So, armed with library books on gardening, and help from her Mummy with the buying and planting of seeds, her garden is under way. Though of course those flowers won’t grow up overnight, so in the meantime Lulu decides to make her own flower book, string some shells and beads and make a little Mary Mary character of her own. Then one warm, sunny day, joy of joys, her flowers have opened to greet the sun. Time to hang up those shiny bells, Lulu, before your friends come round to see that special garden and to share some of the produce. Absolutely charming – both words and pictures are full of warmth; and as always Lulu is such a good advocate for books and libraries. Would that every young child had parents like her ready to encourage and support all those activities that are so important for young children – reading, writing, growing things and developing their creativity. Jill Bennett Armadillo - Children's Magazine Alanna Books send the loveliest goodies, Lulu Loves Flowers gorgeous story inspired my to plant the seeds you sent! Lulu Loves Flowers by Anna McQuin and Rosalind Beardshaw (Alanna Books) continues the highly popular Lulu series introducing children to important concepts in a simple and effective manner. Hopefully it will inspire many beautiful gardens! |
Sprout's Bookshelf (Book review site)
Tonight's pick is by an author and illustrator team that Sprout and I both adore. Lola Plants a Garden by Anna McQuinn is the latest entry in the series featuring Lola and her family, including brother Leo. We have loved every single book in this series, and I'm happy to report that this latest is just as awesome as all the rest! One thing I love about Lola Plants a Garden is that it teaches kids how to work through a project from beginning to end. Lola gets the idea for a garden from reading a poem; she tells her mom and they work on the project together, from designing to planting to decorating the garden and then throwing a party to show it off. Winsome illustrations by Rosalind Beardshaw are the perfect touch to complement McQuinn's storytelling. Add Lola Plants a Garden to your list -- this is a sweet celebration of flowers, friends and books, and what could be better than that? Library Mice Book Blogger Summer is a great time to get kids involved in helping out in the garden, might it be weeding, picking fruit or vegetables or anything else. In this gorgeous latest Lulu story, little Lulu decides she wants to grow flowers of her own and sets to do just what. In this series Anna McQuinn always puts book, libraries and reading aloud at the heart of what makes children tick; this is utterly wonderful, and especially here, with the reading of non-fiction is promoted. With gorgeous heartwarming artwork by Rosalind Beardshaw, little readers will undoubtedly want to put their wellies on, and start working on their garden patch straight away. ReadItDaddy Blogspot An adorable little girl growing her own flowers for the first time in a simple but really enjoyable story from Anna and Rosalind. Superb! Books for Keeps 5-star review and Book-of-the-Week This is the fourth adventure for this delightful little girl... here she’s outside too, inspired by her favourite nursery rhyme Mary, Mary, to grow a flower garden. Lulu finds helpful books in the library, makes a list of what to buy with Mum, buys the seeds, plants them, and then waits for them to grow. The waiting isn’t easy for this bouncy little girl, but she finds lots to fill her time. When the flowers bloom, Lulu celebrates with a party for her friends. From the opening spread which shows Lulu sharing a book of garden poems with her mum, the book exudes warmth. Anna McQuinn’s stories of Lulu are authentic, and totally in tune with young children’s lives – the interior as well as the external – and Rosalind Beardshaw’s expressive illustrations complement the text perfectly... Later she will invent stories for the little Mary Mary and act them out with her friends: in fact the book provides a wonderful source of ideas for indoor and outdoor activities for pre-school children. What will Lulu think of next asks the final spread – we can’t wait to find out! A wonderful book to share. The Horn Book Horn Book Guide Reviews 2015 Spring Book-loving Lola (Lola at the Library) wants to plant a garden. Naturally, she and her mom go to the library to research flowers before planting the seeds. When the flowers are finally blooming, Lola invites her friends to enjoy their beauty as well as her mom's homegrown strawberries. Good-natured Lola's latest story, with its gentle art and appropriately simple text, will appeal to her fans. Booklist Reviews 2014 September #2 Lola wants a flower garden just like the one described in her favorite nursery rhyme, which begins "Mary, Mary, quite contrary." With help from Mommy and Daddy, she plants seeds and waits for them to grow. Meanwhile, she makes three things: a book about flowers, a string of silver bells, and a little Mary Mary doll. The flowers grow and bloom, but the fun is just beginning. After making cupcakes with Mommy, Lola invites three friends to enjoy the garden, which now includes the shiny bells, little Mary Mary, and refreshments. First published in England, the simple story reads aloud well, while the acrylic paintings use warm colors and rounded forms to depict this engaging black child and her supportive parents. The many young children who love the other picture books in the Lola series, such as Lola Loves Stories (2010) and Lola Reads to Leo (2012), will enjoy watching Lola turn her poetry-inspired interest into an imaginative, child-sized adventure. A rewarding picture book to read and reread. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews. |
We like to include Goodreads and Amazon reviews as these are people who've not been sent review copies and just post for the love of the books!
The illustrations in this book are just PRECIOUS! I love them! The story is sweet, too- I like the fact that Lola was so interested in something she read that she wanted to act on it, and it's fun to see stories where families work together on something (in this case, planting a garden!) - Jessi
I love Lola so much! - Lindsay
Absolutely loved this simple story with charming illustrations. Lola and her mother plant a flower garden and make their own book because Lola loves the nursery rhyme " Mary, Mary". This book is great for teaching sequencing and inspiring creativity. You'll love the finished garden. - Wendy
Elaine rated it 5 of 5 stars
I read this at a storytime to a group of 18 children ages 4 -5. They enjoyed it and we talked about going to the library to find books about the project you are getting ready to do, planting gardens, making scrapbooks and cooking from the garden. The illustrations are soft and colorful and Lola is adorable. I like that the author included a classic nursery rhyme and an original poem based on the classic rhyme because it is National Poetry Month, and I think its important to teach children about the value and the fun of poetry. I highly recommend this book for reading aloud at home or to a group in a storytime setting. Have fun with it!
The illustrations in this book are just PRECIOUS! I love them! The story is sweet, too- I like the fact that Lola was so interested in something she read that she wanted to act on it, and it's fun to see stories where families work together on something (in this case, planting a garden!) - Jessi
I love Lola so much! - Lindsay
Absolutely loved this simple story with charming illustrations. Lola and her mother plant a flower garden and make their own book because Lola loves the nursery rhyme " Mary, Mary". This book is great for teaching sequencing and inspiring creativity. You'll love the finished garden. - Wendy
Elaine rated it 5 of 5 stars
I read this at a storytime to a group of 18 children ages 4 -5. They enjoyed it and we talked about going to the library to find books about the project you are getting ready to do, planting gardens, making scrapbooks and cooking from the garden. The illustrations are soft and colorful and Lola is adorable. I like that the author included a classic nursery rhyme and an original poem based on the classic rhyme because it is National Poetry Month, and I think its important to teach children about the value and the fun of poetry. I highly recommend this book for reading aloud at home or to a group in a storytime setting. Have fun with it!
Longer and more indepth Reviews
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Playing by the Book review site
Lulu Loves Flowers (Lola Plants a Garden in the US) is perfect in every way. That’s all you really need to know. It’s that simple. It’s the tale of a young child who plants some seeds and watches them grow. This in itself isn’t ground-breaking; there are plenty of other lovely books out there that have the same basic premise, but this one just does it so well, so delightfully, so cleverly it’s become my number one book for gardening with kids. First up, there’s the fact that Lulu gets her inspiration for her garden from books. 
Poetry is what kicks it all off, but then she uses non-fiction books to learn more. You can see how this matches Playing by the book’s ethos so perfectly – with ideas coming from books, sparking more reading of books, embedding stories and ideas into each of our lives. One example of this which I especially love is depicted in the end pages of this book, where first you get the original version of the nursery rhyme ‘Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary’ but at the end of the book you get a re-written version, Lulu’s version. Lulu has taken the poem and really made it her own.
Next I love this book because it’s about something completely unrelated to diversity (it is not an “issues” book), and yet it does wonders for inclusion. In a way it saddens me that simply depicting a non-white family doing something as ordinary as gardening is radical. But mostly I’m delighted to see a family (who just happen to be black) doing ordinary family things together. 
And yes, I love this book because its about doing things together as a family; getting crafty, getting creative, Dad included! Going these projects isn’t difficult, and any effort involved is more than repaid through the joy of the time and experiences shared.
Beardshaw’s painting illustrations are full of colour without ever being garish. She’s got a real eye for clothing, and I just love how she’s captured Lulu’s curly hair. On one level that’s such a small thing, but on another I feel it really shows an authenticity in her illustrations. 
I think the scene above is extra special. Last year the School Library Journal published a fascinating article about research showing How Cross-Racial Scenes in Picture Books Build Acceptance. Although the stats are based on the US picture book market, they still speak volumes elsewhere in the world:
Fewer than 10 percent of books published in 2013 featured children of color, according to statistics gathered by the Cooperative Children’s Books Center. Even more rare are the picture books that depict children making positive connections across racial differences. This absence sends a subtle message to children, as if we were telling them, “It’s okay to only play with children who are like you” or that “children like you don’t play with children who are racially different from you.” […] In a study investigating how kids respond to cross-racial depictions in picture books, Aronson and her colleagues randomly assigned children to two groups. The first group was read books that depicted children from different races playing together and having fun. The second group was read similar books, but with children from only one racial group. After six weeks, they found that children in the first group reported greater comfort and interest in playing across difference than children in the second group. Perhaps even more importantly, the first group reported that these positive attitudes remained three months after the study was completed. We NEED more books like Lulu Loves Flowers, not just so black kids can see themselves in picture books but also so that kids who aren’t black can see them too, and can see kids, people getting on whatever their skin colour. Lulu Loves Flowers is a book for everyone, and should not be shelved only with the “Diverse/inclusive books”. Lulu Loves Flowers is the latest of several books Anna McQuinn has written about this family. All are joyous, full of smiles, reflecting everyday experiences of young children and highlighting things that really matter – not only but especially – with little ones: Spending time together, reading and sharing stories. If you’ve live or work with kids under 5 I think they should form an essential part of your library. Although Lulu Loves Flowers may be mostly aimed at younger kids, my 10 year old wanted to make her own garden to go with the book, using bell charms (we got ours from this etsy seller) and a fabulous bookish planter we found in the local junk shop. There’s nothing like making a miniature fairy garden! 
To make your own miniature garden, see here.
We also thought about a crafty project which younger kids could easily do too and came up with the idea of making silver bells for our garden out of old yoghurt pots. Using acrylic paint we first coated our clean pots in silver and when dry we drizzled them with PVA glue and sprinkled glitter over them. (Acrylic is a good paint to use on yoghurt pots as it sticks better to the plastic. If you’ve access to lots of cardboard egg boxes you could also use them to make bells, and then poster paint would work fine.) We hung our bells up in our cherry tree, in the hope that the movement and sparkle will keep the pigeons from eating our fruit (yes, we live optimistically!). I wonder if we’ll end up keeping the pigeons away by attracting lots of magpies instead!**
Zoe had some other wonderful add-on ideas in her review and I've put them on the Activity Pages here.
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Mirrors Windows Doors - review site
Fans of the adorable Lulu series may at first glance think that the new Lulu Loves Flowers marks a new departure for Lulu from the book-oriented earlier titles but of course, books are so integral to Lulu’s life that it is, in fact, Lulu’s favourite rhyme from a book of garden poems ‘Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary’ that inspires her to plant a garden of her own; and a trip to the library provides her with books to help her decide which flowers she wants to plant. Mummy helps her buy and then plant the seeds. It takes a long time for her flowers to grow and it’s hard to be patient, but Lulu has plenty to keep her occupied while she’s waiting: she makes her own flower book, including a copy of the nursery rhyme (which is also included inside the front cover of the book). She strings bells, finds shells, and even makes her own Mary. I love that Lulu has made Mary look like her (in so far as a wooden-spoon doll can look like anyone) with dark-coloured skin and thick black hair. Eventually her flowers grow and what a display! Lulu Loves Flowers is an affirming book for young children: Lulu is very much in charge all the way through. Her parents help her but they don’t lead. And not just at home: at the garden centre, Lulu receives her purchase of seeds from the hands of the shopkeeper, while Mummy stands behind holding the shopping list – we don’t see their faces because the illustration is focused on Lulu. Lulu Loves Flowers is a gentle story, beautifully crafted and illustrated, about a little girl spending time on a project and reaping the rewards of commitment and patience. At the very end, Lulu makes up a new story for her friends about Mary, Mary Quite Contrary, and the rear endpaper provides a new version of the rhyme, ‘Lulu, Lulu, Quite Extraordinary’ about her garden. I’m sure the book will inspire lots of young children to start a garden project, not to mention making their own stories and rhymes. Marjorie Coughlan Good Reads with Ronna review site Garden-themed books for Spring In Lola Plants a Garden, young Lola is inspired to plant a garden after reading the “Mary, Mary, quite contrary” poem. First, she conducts her research with books from the library. Next, she and Mommy make a list of Lola’s favorite flowers. Then they’re off to buy seeds and carefully follow the instructions on the seed packets. But growing a garden doesn’t happen quickly, and Lola has to wait. Not to worry, as Lola and her parents have plenty of ways to keep busy. Lola makes her own flower book…She finds shells and some old beads. She even makes a little Mary Mary. Daddy helps Lola hang her shiny bells. Lola finds Mary Mary a special spot. It’s just perfect. And, before Lola knows it, her flowers grow and her friends visit. They share the crunchy peas and sweet strawberries…What kind of garden will Lola plant next? This sweet book highlights the fun of getting back to nature and teaches the virtues of hard work and patience. Good things come to those who wait, and Lola must wait for her flowers to sprout and grow. With the help of her parents, Lola doesn’t dwell on the waiting and enjoys her time with related activities. I just adore the illustrations. They are bright with the little details that convey so much meaning. We know Lola is working hard on her flower book when we see her tongue stick out from the corner of her mouth. And pulling weeds isn’t easy as we can tell from Lola wiping her brow. I especially liked seeing how Mommy and Lola lean into each other as they make cupcakes. These touches are the illustrator’s mastery. The font is also spot on with just the right size and style (modern with clean lines) to help emerging readers identify letters and words. Magpie That - Children's Book Review Site Inspired by her book of poems, Lulu sets out to make a flower garden like Mary, Mary Quite Contrary. Lulu picks the seeds she wants and waits for the flowers to grow. Her mum and dad help her with the project. Dad helps her hang shells over the flower bed and mum helps her make a flower sketch book. The book is a nice introduction to living things that children can create in the space available to them. It can also be used as a good starting point to discuss how plants reproduce, and the different parts that make up a flower. Why not read this book to your little ones and then take them to the garden centre and create your very own flower garden. James Syner Children's Books Ireland - reviews The Lulu books always contain references to stories, and Lulu Loves Flowers is no exception. Little Lulu, inspired by the nursery rhyme ‘Mary, Mary, quite contrary’, goes to the library and chooses a book to tell her how to plant and grow flowers. After buying and planting the seeds she busies herself making decorations to add to her garden. The story has a surprise ending with a new story/poem about Mary, Mary. The picturebook is beautifully topped and tailed by rhyme. The publishers Alanna Books pride themselves on producing books for everyone and this story certainly has a multicultural flavour. Anna McQuinn writes a good story with action on every page to keep a young child’s attention. The illustrations are warm and cosy, and bright colours are used without being gaudy. The story encourages further activities for children – planting their own seeds and watching the plants grow as well as developing craft skills. It is no surprise the author is a librarian as this book encourages further exploration by the child to look at more books for stories and information about the world around us. This is an absolutely delightful and cleverly written book for any young child harbouring a love of books, searching for new information and developing creative skills. A perfect book for any adult caring or working with young children. Read-it-Daddy Blogspot One look at this book's joyful cover will be enough to convince you that spring is on the way, and there's no better time to dive out into the garden and start planning what to plant and where to plant it. Adorable Lulu loves getting out into the garden with her mum, and we share her enjoyment as Lulu is given her own crop of seeds and starts planting them, watering them and weeding around them. Be patient Lulu, because when the sun begins to shine, those little seedlings can turn into something quite spectacular! Encouraging children to have a go and grow their own flowers, fruit and vegetables is a simple thing we can all do and we just loved how celebratory the Lulu books are about something that takes a little effort and perhaps a little bit of a wait, but reaps such amazing rewards (unless you're me, I am so not green fingered in any way but thankfully Mummy and Charlotte are!) Join in with the fun with Lulu, she's our kinda gal! Charlotte's best bit: Wonderful wonderful sunflowers explode into life to reward Lulu for her efforts! Hooray! Daddy's Favourite bit: An adorable little girl growing her own flowers for the first time in a simple but really enjoyable story from Anna and Rosalind. Superb! A Book Long Enough - Librarian's book blog
Spring Selection The fourth book in a darling British import for preschoolers and young elementary schoolers. Lola gets the idea to plant a garden based on the nursery rhyme "Mary, Mary Quit Contrary." She enjoys sharing the results with her young friends. A celebration of patience, creativity, and friendship. |