I’m Glad That You’re Happy

In a lyrical, allegorical story, an anthropomorphic leafy plant is potted with another plant: “You have to take care of your little friend. It is smaller and weaker than you,” advises the florist. When the plants are taken home to live and grow with a painter and his family, they quietly observe the joys and sorrows of the household. Kazemi’s hazy, dreamlike images are infused with gentle melancholy as warmly stylized human figures—wearing patterned clothing echoed by Kazemi’s depictions of climbing, curling vines and leaves—enjoy “times of happiness” and endure “times of despair.” When the plant’s friend grows strong, beautiful, and too large for their shared pot, the painter moves the friend to its own home: “My roots were entwined in yours. Leaving you was hard,” the plant says. Yet it accepts the inevitability of change and the importance of supporting others’ success and growth. Ages 4–7. [em](Aug.) [/em]