This book shows the difference in how a kid views things versus an adult. To this kid, school ground is nothing but rock, rubber cement, and concrete. It’s not pretty. It’s not fun. It’s ugly. One day a dandelion sprouts up in a crack. The students love this. This is a beautiful flower in their world of hard surfaces. It’s a reminder how in city Spaces people need to find the green. Find the grass, the parks the flowers. Not all concrete is lovely.

Such a sweet story with almost vintage-feeling art. I loved the school children rallying together and finding the wonder in a "weed."

When one little girl takes the time to notice a little weed, everyone's lives are changed. Such a lovely book to read through with littles, and so easy to incorporate with art projects for a classroom.

So cute! This book perfectly captured the feelings of being a kid in elementary school and on the playground.

Cute! A story about appreciating the beauty in the things we so often overlook. A great reminder to slow down and enjoy the world around you. The text and story line are simple and effective. The illustrations are wonderful. A gem!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Adorable! It reminds me of my own kids. The art works really well with the story. I think my kids would have really liked this.

4 stars

This book is no doubt 5 stars for me! The illustrations I am in love with. The story left a smile on my face. The children's fascination with the dandelion, to the point where they befriend it - tooooo true! This reminded me of my childhood. Also, I have two kiddos and they find so much joy in picking dandelions. I couldn't help but chuckle, because the adults of course just saw the flower as a weed. The ending was an adorable mwuahaha moment. This is a book I would 1000% buy a physical copy of. One of my favorite reads this Summer!! Fun book for a homeschool unit on Dandelions. Deserves more than 3 stars!!

A testament to both the tenacity of children and weeds, this story about an adored dandelion growing on a playground, will warm the hearts of both kids and adults! Cherished first by Sam and then by a whole school of students. the flower grows impossibly large and vibrant. It is only when the custodian is tasked with pulling it out, that the tears begin. It takes the entire staff of the elementary school to rip the glorious dandelion, now a puffball of tiny seeds, from its moorings. But dandelions always win! So does this one and so do the kids who loved it!

The Weedflower is like an ode to the humble dandelion; a simple weed in the eyes of adults but an amazing show-off survivor. This picture book starts off with one child on the playground discovering a "weed" growing alone in the concrete jungle of a playground. As the "weed" grows, it gets noticed first by the children who marvel at its tenacity and beauty and then by the grown-ups who rush to remove what shouldn't be growing. In every good story, beauty spreads like a weed touching children's hearts everywhere. This simple story has delightful illustrations that will draw the readers, both young and old, into the story.

A little girl notices a tiny weedflower in the schoolyard and it becomes the topic of the story, The Weedflower. She nurtures and protects the flower, admiring its beauty. As time goes on, other schoolchildren begin to notice the flower as well.



With so much love the flower soon towers over the schoolyard fence.



As time goes by, the flower becomes a furry white puff ball of white. The children are enchanted by the flower's beauty.



There are some who are not pleased with the giant white puff ball. There is a consensus among the adults that it must be removed. When they try to pull it up, the roots are impossible to pull out. As a very large person, the schools principle is able to pull the weedflower out of the ground easily. The white seeds scatter through the air as he pulls the weed.


Come the following September a surprise awaits everyone!

The Weedflower is the perfect example of how a picture book tells a story through words and illustrations. I love the very realistic “dark night of the soul” before the ending. This book has an important message and will spark discussion in classrooms and families about environmental stewardship and how people value and judge others. I highly recommend this book!

No one notices the dandelion in the school yard but Sam. But her attention draws the attention of others and their love for the plant develops it into something much greater than can be believed. The adults of course see differently and this story is a beautiful illustration of a child’s ability to see beauty in the everyday and the resilience of nature.
A simple powerful story with beautiful illustrations. Sure to be enjoyed by children all over and of any age.

Have you ever seen a weed growing in a place that seemed impossible?

🌼The Weedflower is a beautiful story about a dandelion flower that grows in a seemly impossible place between the school’s cement and rubber turf. Sam is the only one who notices it Sam cares for it and it grows into a giant, bright yellow dandelion! The other kids start to notice it and they all take care of it. When it finally shrivels up and reblooms into a white, wispy fluffball. The adults finally notice it and want to remove it, but the kids protest! The adults don’t see the magic that this dandelion has; they only see a weed. What happens to this big, beautiful dandelion? You’ll have to get The Weedflower, out on August 13th from @owlkidspublishing !

I received an electronic ARC from Owlkids Books through NetGalley.
Davaze shows readers how one tiny plant can influence a whole school playground. Sam is the only student who notices the small dandelion growing by the fence. She spends recesses watching it and caring for it. As it grows, others notice it as well. They bond together to nurture and protect it until it grows so large and strong that adults notice. Sadly, they want it removed. I appreciate the symbolism as the principal breaks off the plant but the seeds travel everywhere. Lovely surprise for kids but expected result for older readers to finish the book. The message that when nurtured love blooms and spreads is shared in a subtle way. This makes it even more meaningful. A dialogue starter for families and classes.

Often times as adults we overlook the tiny little joys of life that children can still see. Such as a weed being a beautiful flower such as the dandelions are. Thinks for reminding us there is beauty in all even weeds.

A short, cute book for little kids.....the story of a dandelion growing on a children's school playground. The simple drawings/illustrations using an easy color scheme of yellow & green, much like the plant itself.....worked really well! Children & adults reading to them will find something to relate to! A great summer read/selection!
I received a digital ARC from Owlkid Books via NetGalley for review purposes.

Perspective is everything. One person (or a whole playground) admires a flower, while another sees a weed. I enjoyed how she first noticed the flower; nurtures it, and then shares with the entire playground. The students guard it, water it, and watch it grow. The illustrations are lovely and capture the characters awe and even made me giggle a time or two. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I did like this book, at least for nostalgia sake. It reminded me how special dandelions were to me as a kid, and makes me think about my students gifting me them on the playground now.
I think my students would like it, but it wouldn’t feel overly special to them in any way coming since we live in Nebraska and there’s dandelions literally EVERYWHERE to the point where they might not understand why the weedflower is special.

How many times do we overlook the beauty of all creation? Even a “weed” is a beautiful thing and has a purpose. This story was very sweet and reminded me to look at all things for their beauty and/or purpose. Loved it!

The illustrations on this book make the story fly. I loved the message--mostly because it wasn't completely spelled out for the reader, so you could gain your own meaning. Adults and kids alike will enjoy this picture book. Kids, because their imaginations will delight in the growth of a cared-for idea, and adults because of the reminder that sometimes we need to let our weeds grow to embrace our dreams.

Perfect timing. I'm sitting by my front window watching dandelion "fluff" floating and dancing in the breeze as I type. I am also the neighbor who postponed getting my yard mowed an extra week to allow myself not just more time to enjoy the sea of yellow but feed the pollinators. I loved seeing that burst of yellow. As a result, I thoroughly related to the young girl, Sam, finding joy in the growth and tenacity of the "weedflower".

On a deeper level, I liked the big idea that if something is nurtured and loved, it may flourish, spreading beauty and love even further. Even when someone (in this case adults) don't seem to appreciate it, the potential is there. The illustrations were simple, largely in warm colors but with b/w scattered throughout. The teacher in me searched for a meaning of the juxtapositioning of color and lack of color but could find none, but maybe you'll do better. In any case, the idea that one lone, loving gesture can spread is clearly shown. Anyone familiar with dandelions knows they don't need much encouragement but the concept that children flourish best when loved and nurtured is clear. Actually, all living beings do.

Bottom line, while it was difficult for this former country girl to imagine even a city child could be unfamiliar with dandelions despite the frequent, disparaging term "weed" being applied to them, I loved the idea of a child being enthralled by that one bit of nature's bounty. I did wish at least one of the teachers had been part of the miracle, quite frankly, but, nevertheless, I enjoyed the story and ideas it shared on all levels. Thanks #NetGalley and #OwlKids for reminding us of the beauty of some of the smallest miracles of nature.