Some flowers are the subject of nursery rhymes and childhood games while others help us celebrate love, remember our homelands or mark the passing seasons. These mindful haiku poems invite us to explore twenty-four flower species growing close to home, from wildflower meadows to urban window boxes. The nature-themed follow up to My Mindful A to Zen, this gorgeous collection of poems teaches us that treating ourselves and our planet mindfully can also be a treat for the senses.
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Krina Patel-Sage is an illustrator, author, and designer. Beginning her design career at a children’s publishing house in 2012, she developed a passion for illustrated non-fiction. In 2018, she was shortlisted for Penguin’s WriteNow illustration prize. Most days, you’ll find her in the local woods, spotting birds and fungi with her two young sons.
“It is a bright, bold, and sturdy book. It is positively bursting with energy and life. Simply stunning. A book to treasure.”
- Armadillo
“This wonderful collection can be appreciated on so many levels and really repays careful study of every page so that all the subtle details of the diverse and inclusive illustrations can be appreciated. A collection that cannot help but inspire readers’ own creativity and mindfulness.”
- LoveReading4Kids STARRED REVIEW
“Patel-Sage frequently links the varietals to themes such as confidence, growth, and strength. Appropriately sunny illustrations feature figures of varying abilities, creeds, and skin tones making daisy chains with a caregiver, greeting neighbors, and playing outdoors in a work that’s likely to inspire many garden daydreams.”
- Publishers Weekly
“Along with being racially and culturally diverse, the smiling, wide-eyed cast includes a youngster using a prosthetic limb, an adult couple of ambiguous gender in a Christmas scene, and what appears to be a same-sex couple in a Hindu-style wedding. “Floral Fun Facts” about some of the selected flowers at the end add light doses of lore and natural science. A bright bouquet of poems, petals, and values.”
- Kirkus Reviews
“I’m fascinated because a conscious effort was made to make sure that the flowers featured in this book were non-invasive species. I don’t really remember any other book making a strong point on the matter, but here every flower featured fits into the place that it is portrayed.”
- School Library Journal
“A range of abilities, skin tones, faiths, and family structures are suggested by the digital artwork, and many of the poetic offerings reflect connections to cultural heritage or ancestral homelands. The book's overall effect encourages reflection and awareness of nature to benefit health.”
- Booklist
"The vibrant collage-style illustrations are filled with beautiful bright blooms. From a superhero-loving girl with a hearing aid to a same-sex Asian wedding ceremony surrounded my marigolds, the poetry book features a diverse mix of children and families enjoying the wonderful plants.”
- BookTrust
“Aristotle’s observation that, “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all,” surely inspires Patel-Sage’s Watch Me Bloom, in which 24 flowers pair with appropriate haiku. Bold illustrations accent each scene, and “Floral Fun Facts” add completeness to the text. Teachers can build cross-curricular units, combining science, language arts, and more. The book blends haiku with crisp illustrations and interesting facts.”
- NCTE Excellence in Children’s Poetry Award Committee
