A Magician’s Flower

Young narrator Willow, portrayed with brown skin, lives in a seaside town whose pastel buildings are sheltered by lush greenery. Willow’s pale-skinned friend Aspen, a poet, wears a red beret, while Willow, who sports a large sun hat, enjoys spending time in the greenhouse with chicken Eulalia, an “excellent assistant.” It’s in the greenhouse one day that Eulalia finds a small, sickly plant. Across naif-style spreads loosely stroked in petit-four greens, lavenders, and pinks, Maijala (Rosie Runs) shows the children pondering the plant’s origin. They name it Raisin after the hero in one of Aspen’s poems, who vanquishes the frightening sea serpent Sampi via a “daring game of cards.” When the plant continues to languish, the children transport Raisin and Eulalia to the seashore. Then, one night, Willow takes Raisin into the moonlight, encouraging the plant (“Raisin might be small but was still mightier than the Sampi”), an act that leads to the discovery of Raisin’s remarkable secrets. Conflict barely ripples this winding, cozy story about adopting a living thing and taking steps to see to its needs. Ages 5–9. (July)