Blooming Buddies in the Garden: A Blooming Book of Verse

Anchored by Donner's sunlit watercolors, this choppy read-aloud collects snippets of verse, written in the voices of the flowers depicted in the paintings. A number of the singsong ditties, which are vaguely tied to a theme of friendship, are ambiguous or awkward ("I'm shy but I must tell her/ She's standing on my stem/ Please move a bit Miss Posey/ So my play time can begin"). Occasionally, a clear message surfaces%E2%80%94"We understand you're curious/ Now here's a tip for you/ When you see others talking/ Please wait until they're through"%E2%80%94but the absence of anything resembling a story line is difficult to overlook. Donner's floral images, though somewhat static for a young audience and lacking visual variety, feature dappled backgrounds and a lovely pastel palette, accentuated by splashes of vivid color. This sweet-intentioned but unfocused compilation is more pleasing to the eye than the ear. Ages 3%E2%80%936.