Review by Booklist Review
The narrator, Willow, introduces the book's cast: Raisin, a small plant; Eulalia, a chicken and an excellent assistant; and Aspen, a friend and poet. As Willow tidies up a greenhouse, Eulalia discovers an unusual plant. Willow doesn't know what type of plant the small shoot might be but names it Raisin and introduces it to Aspen. The illustrations are painted in a flowing, vibrant manner, filling every page completely with lush foliage, vivid seascapes, or sunny city streets. The other plants have curious faces that they turn toward the mysterious Raisin. The story unfolds like scenes from a play, beginning with the naming of Raisin. Then Aspen shares a poem about a terrifying sea creature, the Sampi, before Raisin and Eulalia embark on a bike tour of town in a basket. The basket accidentally goes out to sea but eventually returns to the greenhouse. Willow shares encouraging words with Raisin, and readers learn about Raisin's possible origin before a scene of dramatic blooming. Magical and sweetly surreal, this small adventure invites repeated readings to consider its filigree structure and layered messages.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
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)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A sweet Finnish tale of a flower in need of just a little reassurance. Working in the greenhouse, Willow discovers a tiny seedling in a neglected pot. After Willow's friend Aspen comes over, the two name the plant Raisin after one of the heroes in Aspen's epic poem. With Willow's chicken Eulalia in tow, the two attempt to coax Raisin into growing taller; they take her to the seashore, offer her both sunlight and moonlight, and ultimately reassure her that she can remain little if she wishes to. "I don't think you need to grow at all," says Willow. "Can't you grow to be small, the same way you can grow to be big?" Only then, the next day, does Raisin bloom, and the kids discover that the plant is a magician's flower. Per a book from Aspen's great-grandmother: "It is said that magicians are the only ones who can create the right conditions for the flower to bloom." This brief yet delightful adventure is low on drama; the most dire occurrence is a dog eating someone's fallen ice cream. Alongside loose gouache illustrations, the text truly becomes the star of the show, as when readers learn that "a small, clear voice [is] far more impressive than a loud, bombastic one." Willow is brown-skinned; Aspen is pale-skinned. A gentle reminder that gardening and friendship possess their own kind of magic.(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
