Published just this year, Florette is a heartwarming little story about a girl named Mae who moves from the countryside to a busy urban neighborhood. To her disappointment, Mae discovers that her new home has no garden, no winding paths, and no leafy hiding spots. Mae is a resourceful little girl, however, and she attempts to bring nature into the city by drawing butterflies on the sidewalk and apple trees on the empty moving boxes. Sadly, the butterflies get washed away and the apple trees fall over. Then one day, to her delight, Mae discovers a "forest" (a greenhouse) in the city! Inspired, Mae brings a little sprout from the "forest" back to her apartment and begins growing her own urban garden, sharing her love of nature with everyone around her.
This is the first book I've read by Anna Walker, and I'm already in love with her storytelling style. Her text and illustrations work together beautifully, like different harmonies to a song. Either one could tell the story on its own, but together, they add depth and detail that would be missing without the other. The text moves along in perfect rhythm with the illustrations; when Mae walks through the city, the words dance across the page following the path she walks. And the soft watercolor illustrations are just beautiful. I will definitely be on the lookout for more books by this talented author/illustrator!
