Allen & Unwin ISBN 9781743368800 £6.99
Kind Mr Yilmaz from next door gives Tom a daffodil. But it looks nothing like a daffodil as it is in bulb form, and it’s hard for Tom to believe it could ever become a flower. Tom thinks of more and more imaginative ways of describing the plant as it grows from an ‘onion’, to a ‘green beak’, to a ‘trumpet of gold’. This picture book could help inspire very young children to observe objects carefully and dream up exciting metaphors of their own. It’s also an ideal book to accompany a plant-growing project, as Mr Yilmaz makes sure that Tom provides everything the bulb will need: soil, water, sunlight and care. The passing of the seasons from autumn to spring is emphasised by illustrations of vegetables Mr Yilmaz is harvesting in his own garden. Underpinning this simple story of a flowering bulb, is the warm and constant relationship between an old man and a young boy.
Emma Webb
