Lucy’s Blooms

When Lucy, who has freckled tan skin and long black hair with two buns, finds a sunny clump of dandelions in “the meadow behind Gram’s house,” she hopes to enter them into the Flower Festival contest in three days and “surprise Gram with a new blue ribbon!” With her grandmother’s encouragement, Lucy nourishes her blooms, adding water, whistling to them, and moving them into the shade or sun when needed every morning. But when the judges disqualify Lucy (“The rulebook says, ‘No weeds allowed’ ”), she must find a way to pick herself back up from disappointment. Prochovnic’s prose gently anthropomorphizes Lucy’s flowers (“The blooms tried to nap in the meadow, but the blazing sun was too bright”). Brereton adds vibrant, textural digital spreads with an inclusive array of expressive cartoon-style characters. This gently encouraging tale will inspire young readers to garden—and maintain optimism while learning new activities. Ages 6–9. (Apr.)