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- Boston Herald, 5/12/02,
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"Children and adults alike will treature "Blossom Tales-Flower Stories of Many Folk" by Patricia Hruby Powell, published by Moon Mountain Publishing.... Powell, an award-winning storyteller, selected authentic folk tales from all over the world about different flowers, such as the peony in Japan and the rose from Persia (modern-day Iran). There is even a wonderful Ojibwa story about the dandelion."
Washington Daily News, "Down East Gardening" column, March 19, 2003
"certain to please young readers...charming illustrations"
- Country Living (Nov/Dec 2002)
"An unusual, unusually gentle collection of folk tales about flowers, retold and illustrated by the competent team of Powell and Dillard...
"Blooming within: stories about snapdragons, roses, alyssum, asters and goldenrod, tulips, columbine, peonies and nasturtium (just to mention a few) - a delightful grouping of stories that will offer the most enchantment for readers aged 6-9.
"Pause for the smelling of the roses herein - and reap the harvest of whimsy and wonder and a joy that is wildly fragrant indeed."
- In
The Boox Review
on the web and in print
"A pretty gathering of folk tales about flowers."
- (April) Booklist
"A must-buy for storytellers, teachers,
parents and any lover of folklore or flowers."
- Jim May, Artistic Director,
Illinois Storytelling Festival
"Gardening parents will enjoy this
charming book as much as their children"
- Sydney Eddison, author,
The Self-Taught Gardener
"What a wonderful collection of tales. From now on when I walk
through a garden I'll look on each of these flowers with new eyes."
- Dan Keding, storyteller
"Patricia Hruby Powell's Blossom Tales is a wonderful picturebook anthology filled with short one-page or two-page folk stories from around the world; each story involving a flower in one way or another. The superbly presented color illustrations by Sarah Dillard add life and vigor to these classic folklore and fairytale stories. Blossom Tales is a wonderful multicultural anthology for young readers, filled with variety, color, and life."
- Children's Bookwatch/Midwest Book Review, March issue
"Whimsical -- Very highly recommended. These tales relate the origin of flowers.... Always respectful of the culture they describe, the tales are filled with magic and whimsy.
"...Patricia Hruby Powell [brings] her love of drama and storytelling to the written page in this collection that children will ask to be read again and again. This is illustrator Sarah Dillard's first children's book, but the beauty of the illustrations will leave readers hoping to see more of her marvelous talent.
"...tales that will delight young readers with its evocative stories. Parents will enjoy the flow of the narrative that makes for perfect reading aloud before bedtime."
- Cindy Penn editor@wordweaving.com
Senior Editor,
WordWeaving
Amazon top 50 reviewer
eBook Specialist, Midwest Book Reviews
"...would entertain any child from 5 to 9 years ... a feast for the eye."
"...beautiful simplicity....memorable, colorful flower blossoms and splendid illustrations by Sarah Dillard....both children and parents will enjoy their garden flowers more after the storytelling excellence of Patricia Hruby Powell....
"Whether this book is read to the child or the child is old enough to read the stories...these Blossom Tales will be memorable whenever they visit a garden and will help create the love of gardening in their lives."
- Joanne S. Carpender
The National Gardener
"....a lovely book for children and/or adults alike. Check it out!"
- Floral & Nursery Times
"A collection of 14 folktales from across the globe, Blossom Tales relates wondrous legends about flowers. These tales relate the origin of flowers, or how and why they are used as they are. Always respectful of the culture they describe, the tales are filled with magic and whimsy. Author Patricia HruPowell [sic] is an award-winning storyteller and community arts specialist, bringing her love of drama and storytelling to the written page is this collection that children will ask to be read again and again. This is illustrator Sarah Dillard's first children's book, but the beauty of the illustrations will leave readers hoping to see more of her marvelous talent. Dragons, dwarves, soldiers and fairies bring a touch of the unexpected to Blossom Tales, resulting in tales that will delight young readers with its evocative stories. Parents will enjoy the flow of the narrative that makes for perfect reading aloud before bedtime. A collection that will delight flower lovers of all ages, Blossom Tales comes very highly recommended."
- Cindy's Bookshelf
Midwest Book Review, April 2002
"This fascinating glimpse into a myriad of cultures illustrates the commonality of nature in myths and legends from around the world. Did you realize that tulips were once all a drab shade of brown until some fairies happened along? This is the case according to an old story from Devon, England. And did you know that the dandelion was once a beautiful, golden-haired maiden standing in a meadow waiting for her lover to return until her hair turned white and blew away? An Ojibwa myth tells us so.
"Author Patricia Hruby Powell has done an outstanding job collecting tales from Native American, Middle Eastern, European, Pacific Islander and Asian sources. Sarah Dillard brings the beauty of the legends and the flowers themselves to vivid life in her lovely colorful illustrations. Blossom Tales will appeal to flower gardeners of all ages and to those who enjoy learning about the creative traditions of other societies."
- C. Appel
Fearless Reviews, May 2002
"...a delightful new children's book,...as welcome during the winter doldrums as the first crocus. A crocus story, in fact, opens the book. It's a tale from Sicily about a young boy going to market to sell his family's lush, purple grapes and encountering an old fairy woman. Written in a spare, engaging style by Patricia Hruby Powell....
"In these pages are tales of love and kindness, faith and danger. Here, fairies nurture their babies in the bulbs of tulips and prophets move mallow plants to exude brilliant colors and spicy perfumes.
"The exotic cast of characters include Herb Woman, Sky Maiden, a god with a falcon's head, the Devil, the South Wind, King Solomon, Spanish conquistadors, a dwarf and a woodcutter, a Japanese princess, a knight and a dragon.
"Powell's experiences as a storyteller and dancer are revealed through her language, which moves lightly across the page like a breezy conversation on a summer's day. The margin notes indicate that she is also an avid organic gardener, who has grown all of the flowers in the book. She certainly did enough digging in researching her material and provides an invaluable bibliography in back, citing 24 major references.
"Dillard's illustrations are exquisite, with each scene appropriate to its telling culture. The colors off the page are, like spring flowers themselves, amazingly vivid. Her illustration of Japan's peony story has the quality of an Oriental illumination and a Japanese aesthetic in its design. Similarly, she decorates the lily of the valley tale from Sussex in the distinctive style of a medieval manuscript.
"The book is even an abbreviated field guide, with each of the 15 flowers painted in clusters on the various pages, giving readers a good look at rarer species like columbine, mignonette and alyssum.
"Powell's voice manages the neat trick of being authentic to the culture while consistent to the book. Dillard's pictures complement the work similarly, referencing the individual cultures in subtle ways while retaining a singular style, which relies on certain visual motifs. Sweeping lines of cobblestone, morning glory vines, dragon scales, rivers and pebble paths, doorways, dirt roads, branches, undulating fields and brick walkways provide a unifying link to the images.
"Plant this one in your home library."
- Doug Norris
Arts & Living Editor
South County Independent, Feb 2002
Email Patricia Hruby Powell at
phpowell@talesforallages.com
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