"Emma's Sunflower" is a beautifully illustrated and written story. All four seasons are so wonderfully represented along with the changes in the seasons being highlighted. At one point in the story, color words were used which allowed the reader especially those beginning readers to be able to code and decipher the words. This book was a great showcase of Science observations and making real-life connections as well. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

This is such a sweet and lovely read that any child big or small will love. Just because something goes away doesn't mean it will stay away forever. A wonderful message for children.

This is a cute story about a little girl watching birds through different seasons. Some of the birdseed she fed them fell to the ground and the sunflower seeds were planted and few sunflowers. It had a lot of lessons for small children such as colors, numbers, seasons and how plants grow. The problem for me was that it wasn’t very cohesive.

The illustrations were really nice. The way the sentences were broken up made it difficult to read. Unfortunately it caused the story not to flow nicely and therefore my daughter was not a fan.

Emma’s Sunflower

Emma has packed her bird feeder with sunflower seeds and delights in observing the family of greenfinches who come to feed, but a big black crow scares them away and they can only watch, “Sitting on a telephone wire like music notes upon a stave”. The visual presentation of the text, from evocative color words to arched, flowing, or falling words, enhances the narrative and the illustrations are charming, taking the story from fall through winter, until in spring the scattered seeds begin to grow. The spring artwork is particularly engaging, and the story culminates with the greenfinches returning and a sunflower surprise on Emma’s birthday in July.

This is a lovely book and a joy to look at, but the ending felt rushed and somewhat disconnected from the flow of the story. The sunflower is a tiny sprout which, many pages later, appears full-grown, and its scale seemed out of place with the delicate illustrations of spring.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for this honest review

This book brings to life the idea that sometimes the most beautiful experiences come from the saddest of times. Sweet Emma was certainly hurt the greenfinches were chased away, but without the devastation from the big black crow the sunflowers would have never grown. It’s a story of patience and having faith that not everything that goes wrong, will stay wrong. Both the words and illustrations are beautiful, they compliment each other wonderfully. I certainly recommend this story to any educator, parent, or child themself!

Emma's Sunflower is not one of the typical, super-bright, pithy children's books. It had at times gloomy illustrations, but my nephew and I both enjoyed the story of going through the seasons to see what happens at the end. It was a positive story about waiting and patience, and also that good things come full-circle. The crows could be a little scary for younger readers.

Emma’s Sunflower is a picture book about a young girl who watches throughout the seasons as a sunflower goes from a seed knocked to the ground by a crow to a beautiful summer sunflower in her backyard. I think that this book would be a great entry way into lessons about plants and seeds, seasons and birds. The story ends with some fun activities you can do after reading, such as going back to look for clues in the pictures or creating your own nature-based art.

I think this book would be great for a K-2 classroom or as a provocation for students in preschool-Grade 4 when learning about life cycles and plants. It is a great opportunity to bring literacy, art and science together.

I really appreciate the opportunity from Netgalley and the publisher to read and review an advance copy of this book! I am looking forward to purchasing a copy for my students in the future!

Firstly, I am thankful for the opportunity to have received a free copy of this eBook through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was an adorable children’s book with delightful illustrations and such a beautiful story, with a wonderful surprise end.

I rate this eBook 5 stars and would recommend to those with young children that love the outdoors and wild life.

#EmmasSunflower #NetGalley

What a sweet book! Young children love to learn about the seasons and nature. This book belongs in classroom and home libraries. It can be used as a springboard for lots of activities to do with young children, and I love that the author included activities at the end of the book. The illustrations are wonderful! Highly recommended.

This delightful story about a sunflower that grows because of seeds dropped from a bird feeder is beautifully illustrated. The book would be the perfect addition to a classroom learning about the seasons, as it clearly illustrates how the seasons are a cycle that repeats. I loved the events in the middle of the story (the festive lights, the countdown to Emma’s birthday) because those are the big events that help young children mark time. I think this book would resonate with many students, and would be a fantastic way to talk about seeds, the seasons, and life cycles. I recommend this book for any home or classroom.

Through the seasons of the year with Emma’s observations ---

The story of Emma, her birds and sunflowers in the garden is beautifully illustrated. There is a lot of movement in the illustrations. Children can get a first idea of how nature works throughout the year. ---

I love the four fun activities at the end of the book. Four ideas on how to work with this book in a creative way and how to bring the children into action. ---

Emma watches the change of nature in the garden. She adores the finches, especially when she has the opportunity to observe them. Birds fly, flowers grow, but then, for some reasons, the flowers and birds leave. And come back again. Joy, loss, hope, surprise. Emma sees all the seasons of the year and gets a big surprise for her birthday - from mother nature.

This book is a lovely look at the seasons, and how they effect the nature and animals around us. I have a soft spot for sunflowers (I always planted them with my mom as a kid) so this was extra relatable for me. The art style of the illustrator wasn’t my personal favorite, but I can see how it would appeal to kids. I also thought the activities provided at the end of the book were all great ideas.

First of all, the illustrations are absolutely beautiful! I love this story about Emma and the way it details the cycles of the seasons. Nature is such an impressive component of our human life and to be able to display and teach that to children in such a well rounded way that leaves room for children to ask questions and start further conversation. This book is fantastic for all kids and will leave a lasting impression on how one learns about the cycles of nature.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

Emma's Sunflower by Phillipa Warden is an adorable story about sweet Emma who learns by observing nature that everything we lose in life have a way of coming back to us. Emma hangs a bird feeder in her garden and puts sunflower seeds in it. Much to her delight, birds arrive but are scared away by a big, bad crow. The seeds fall on ground. Emma feels broken hearted as she doesn't know that many wonderful surprises await her. When our plans go astray, we often give up but life works in mysterious way, providing us more than what we wanted in the first place. I am glad Phillip chose sunflowers because they are literally my role models. Always exuding confidence, charm and brightening up everybody's day! Whenever I see sunflowers included in literary works, my heart feels warm. Especially if the illustrations are as mind blowing and captivating as the artwork in this book. The idea behind the story is great but I personally think it was not properly developed. The occurrences feel like separate events and the story loses it's flow in the middle. Good news is the illustrations are so heartfelt and pretty that it doesn't feel like much of a deal after finishing the book. Give it a try!

Thanks to Netgalley and Purple Butterfly Press for a free digital copy.

This book covers plants growing, colors, seasons, and birds in one precious little package! I thought it was so cute and has great jumping off points for kids and adults to discuss and learn more about.

4⭐️

A very cute little story about nature that flows through all 4 seasons. I found the writing to sometimes be a bit over-descriptive at the beginning, but the pacing improved throughout the rest of the book.

The artwork was so beautiful and earthy. I also really appreciated that the author used dyslexic font!!

An easy read that shows the growth cycle of plants through the seasons with some lovely bird and animal illustrations. The lamb was especially cute! Includes fun activities for the family in the back.

Emma's Sunflower is a delightfully cheery read. It is also educational. A young reader can look out for the different colors mentioned; the seasons of the year; how some seeds, like sunflower ones, can grow; and spot birds of different feathers like the one Emma named.

Reading is made extra easy especially for children who may be dyslexic as the font used is called Open Dyslexic, which is specifically meant to aid dyslexic readers. Illustrations are detailed and colorful and will likely let a child 'explore' nature.

For added zest there are four suggested activities notated at the end of the book, which may help the children to review and unpact the interesting story. This would be one book I wouldn't mind giving as a gift to any child, maybe even as a birthday present. Happy Reading, Children!

~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~

February 2022

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the complimentary review copy sent by NetGalley and the publisher.

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I'm a sucker for anything that includes sunflowers.
I do feel a little bemused by this book however. The whole story just felt very random and had nothing keeping it together.
The illustrations were beautiful - but that was about it.