Flower Girl Butterflies

วันพุธที่ 14 กรกฎาคม พ.ศ. 2553

Note: The vote on this review is not against the review, but against me by a malignant troll.

What a wonderful thing it is to include little children in weddings! What a delightful book "Flower Girl Butterflies" is!

First, the illustrations. Christiane Kromer used watercolor, colored pencils, and collage to create the lovely, joyous images throughout the book. After I learned there is collage, I went back to look closely. Yes, that's how she achieved that layered, almost three-dimensional effect. The watercolors create a softened, romantic appeal. And the last two pages--ah, what a fantasy of sweet dreams in purples and lavenders and whites and lilacs!

When I read this story to my four-year-old great-niece, Carolina, she asked so many questions about being a flower girl. Sarah is the little girl whose aunt asks her to be the flower girl in her wedding. You can see Sarah on the cover. Isn't she beautiful? But she is so scared about walking from way, way in back of the church to way, way down to the front.

I related the story to Carolina's older brother. Three years ago when Carolina was just a year old, her older sister and brother were in their cousin's wedding as flower girl and ring bearer, respectively. Chelsea was fine with her job, but Colby. Oh my, at the rehearsal, he lay on the floor, crawled under a pew, and wailed that he could not do this. So did the little ring bearer in our book. It must be in the DNA of little boys to protest weddings even as children. Carolina was fascinated that her big brother was so scared!

But back to our story. Another remarkable aspect of the book is the revelation of family: house guests, preparations, getting dressed, the hustling, the bustling of family celebrating a joyous occasion. Even with little Sarah's trepidations, this is such a happy book. At the reception everyone dances, even Sarah and the ring bearer!

"Flower Girl Butterflies" belongs in every little girl's library for its realism, its fantasy, and its sheer beauty. You know what Carolina said after we finished the book? She patted the back cover and said, "That was a good story!"

Flower Girl Butterflies Feature

Uses watercolor, colored pencils, and collage materials for art.

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