Emma's Sunflower

by Phillipa Warden, Grace Ward (Illustrator)

Overview

Emma’s Sunflower is a lovely story of how things we once thought lost can return to us in the most unexpected ways. From her garden, Emma sees how a family of Finches, one hungry Crow and some spilled seeds, can lead to a wonderful birthday surprise. Told with beautiful illustrations, your child will learn about the seasons, counting, nature and ultimately Hope, all told using a dyslexia-friendly font. The author is British, so don’t forget to keep an eye out for those subtle differences in spelling and expressions with your kids. Will you follow Emma on this learning journey to see how slight mistakes can turn into one of nature’s masterpieces?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781955119139
Publisher:	Purple Butterfly Press
Publication date:	05/24/2022
Pages:	36
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.13(d)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Phillipa is the creator of Rupert's Snowman, a much loved festive tale based on a true story about the time her son refused to leave his snowman behind after a snow day.

She studied Creative Short Story Writing at the Cambridge University ICE and has an MA from The Royal College of Art.

Emma's Sunflower was inspired by her daughter after she was playfully accused of favouritism towards her son!

Grace Ward, the illustrator of Emma’s Sunflower and Rupert’s Snowman is dyslexic and she chose a font called Open Dyslexic to tell her stories. The unique shape of each letter can help prevent confusion through flipping and swapping letters because they have a heavier bottom. The dyslexic reader will be able to quickly work out which part of the word is down and this aids in recognizing the correct letter.

Editorial Reviews

06/01/2022

K-Gr 2—A story about how our world overlaps with the natural one when we pay attention. Emma, a white girl with yellow hair, is watching a family of lovely greenfinches at the bird feeder, which she has recently stuffed with sunflower seeds. Emma is surprised to see a crow scare off the birds she was watching just moments ago, and in the process, seeds are scattered everywhere. In winter, Emma's family celebrates festive holidays and it's implied that the seeds are underground. In fact, the tale jumps from idea to idea—from seeds to lambs to apple blossoms to sunflowers to birthdays—and the illustrations are invested in a literal telling of the story. A fully grown sunflower makes an appearance, along with the return of the greenfinches, in time for Emma's birthday. The illustrator's note explains how the font used is more accessible for dyslexic readers; the book also includes a list of activities for further engagement with the story and illustrations. VERDICT A sweet story to add where this team's first book, Rupert's Snowman, is popular.—Jessica Schriver

School Library Journal