Shelf Awareness--Tiny Wonders

PB Review: Tiny Wonders

Tiny Wonders by Sally Soweol Han (Bloomsbury, 40p., ages 4-8, 9781547614561)

Tiny Wonders is the inspirational story of how one girl, channeling her grandmother's wisdom, teaches her fellow citizens to stop and smell the dandelions.

April thinks the people in her town are too busy and she wonders how she might "help them all slow down." Her grandmother used to say that, in the secret language of flowers, "dandelions mean happiness." But the gardener says that "dandelions are a weed," the bus driver says they make him sneeze, and the shopkeeper says she hasn't "seen a dandelion in years." April thinks that dandelions might be exactly the "magic" her town needs and, after she wishes extra hard, seeds float down to her from the sky. April secretly sows all her seeds and tries to be patient. She remembers Grandma telling her that "good things take time" and, sure enough, "bit by bit," the seeds grow. Happiness blooms as the gardener, the bus driver, the shopkeeper, indeed "everyone" now cheerfully cast wishes "for more tiny wonders to grow."

Sally Soweol Han has created an enchanting, lasting story which shows small acts having a big impact. Her sweet, uncluttered text feels energetic and endlessly optimistic, while gouache, colored pencil, and soft pastel illustrations are dynamic, bright, and sprinkled with whimsy. Backmatter provides illustrations of a wide variety of flowers and what they mean, such as the daffodil ("I'm proud"), lavender ("let's never forget"), and the yellow rose ("let's be friends"). Tiny Wonders is a delightful peek into the magic and language of flowers. --Lynn Becker, reviewer, blogger, and children's book author.