Rating: ★★★★★
Author: Liniers
Title: Wildflowers
ISBN: 1943145539
Genre: Children's, Picture Book/Graphic Novel
Publisher: TOON Books, 2021
Page Count: 40 pages
Synopsis: When her two big sisters embark on an adventure to explore a mysterious island, the youngest one doesn’t want to be left behind. What shines through from this funny story’s gut-wrenchingly scary beginning (“There was a terrible plane crash!”) to its sweet and satisfying ending is LINIERS’s admiration for the imaginative powers of childhood.
I know this one is a little different from this blog, but hear me out: It's worthwhile to stay up-to-date on children's literature if you're interested in children's literacy (for your family or as a career). So, I'll occasionally offer reviews here of the works that I'm reading for my own education.
I hope you enjoy this mixture going forward. So, let's talk about Wildflowers. But briefly, because it's a cute but short read.
Wildflowers follows three sisters after getting stranded on a mysterious island. The book is a mixture of a graphic novel and picture book in format. I could easily see this book being a child's first stepping stone into graphic novels, if they haven't already been introduced to them.
Why is this important?
I've seen some awful takes in online book circles about what makes for "legitimate" reading. Reading is reading no matter what format it takes—audiobook, comic book, picture book, novella, nonfiction essays, online articles, etc. If you're exploring stories and ideas, you're reading.
While I do love the romantic environment of a bookstore or library—the feeling of holding a new book in my hands and smelling it—I would never take away the wonder of picture books, comic books, and graphic novels from others. Getting to fall in love with a story that has captivating art? Pairing beautiful text with amazing illustrations? Sign me up. That's a melding of my two worlds that I love.
When we think of picture books, we think of little kids reading classics like Clifford the Big, Red Dog or Curious George. These are wonderful, don't get me wrong, but when we suggest that a reader has to "age out" of this format, we're completely taking them away from a world of comic books and graphic novels that deserve love and attention, as well. There is an entire world of comics and graphic novels that serve all ages. I have a large collection of stories that are mature and adult-targeted. Their illustrations are graphic and dynamic. Their text is rooted in reality and explore complex themes and ideas. And their mature ratings don't always mean they're vulgar or sexually charged.
There's something for everyone when we stop thinking about mature readers only exploring longform prose with no pictures to accompany the storytelling.
It's important that we encourage young readers to build the confidence to explore longform prose. But it's just as important that we keep their minds engaged and show them stories that are fun to explore. That's where I think Wildflowers does a good job.
The children are silly like children, and they remind me of some of the characters in stories that I grew up with. The words on the pages are comfortable for the age range (level 2 reader), but there are still moments that a reading partner could help them clarify some of the dialogue—leading to great teaching moments.
The ending also helps with a young reader's understanding of scene setting and story twists, albeit a low stakes adorable version of these concepts. I think anyone who picks up this book to read it with their child will truly appreciate the imagination that went into this quick read.
