Wildflower Tea - Hardcover

Grade 1-4-"One sunny Monday in May, an old man went out with a basket in one hand and a walking stick in the other.... He stooped to caress a white stone polished smooth by the water and there, by the toe of his shoe, he spied some violets, their faces turned up to his." So begins a lyrical, seven-month record of a nature-lover's scavenging. In November, the bounty he has reaped all summer provides his wildflower tea: "The man breathed in deeply-of rosebuds and mint, of sunny meadows and salty cliffs, of streams in no hurry and the sound of bagpipes." The language is rhythmic and charming; Essley's romantic pastels are done in natural tones touched with gold. Striking double-paged spreads, especially those of the sea and of cornfields, capture the breathtaking essence of the seasons and the solitary nature of this gentleman's explorations. Unfortunately, the text strikes an adult chord, and the illustrations don't add enough interest or energy to sustain the leisurely pace. For a more age-appropriate treatment of the seasons, try the Provensens' Year at Maple Hill Farm (Aladdin, 1988).
Carolyn Noah, Central Mass. Regional Library System, Worcester, MA
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.