Published by Chronicle Books

Summary:  Have you ever seen a flower?  Really seen a flower?  Seen it using only your nose?  Have you ever felt a flower…the veins on the petals that feel like veins on your skin?  Those veins show that life is inside you and all around you.  Put your hands on your belly (like your stem), then stretch your arms up toward the sky like a flower reaching for the sun.  48 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros:  Shawn Harris has his debut as an author, although he illustrated Her Right Foot and A Polar Bear in the Snow, two books, which, like this book, defied categorization.  His brilliant (in both senses of the word) colored pencil illustrations made me want to go color, and kids will undoubtedly feel the same tug of inspiration.  The text could be used for a lesson in mindfulness, using your imagination, or undoubtedly a host of other interesting ways that my limited mind isn’t thinking of right now.

Cons:  Adults may be scratching their heads at the end, wondering what exactly this book was about (which might actually be a “pro”).