Bloom #BookReview #boardbook #booksfortoddler #toddlersbooks #bloom #childrensbook @simonkids

Synopsis from Simon & Schuster:

From the author of Curls and Glow comes a joyfully poetic board book that delivers an ode to African American girls as naturally beautiful in our human garden.

those girls bloom
these do too

we bloom like flowers
how about you?

Introduce young readers to the idea of self-love in a simple, playful rhythm with this luminous story where each little girl is as unique and beautiful as a blossoming flower.

About: Bloom is a children’s board book written by Ruth Forman and illustrated by Talia Skyles. It will be published on 4/26/22 by Little Simon, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, hardcover, 26 pages. The genres are children’s fiction, African American, and social situations. This book is intended for readers ages 2 and up, grades P and up. I have read one other book by the author for my toddler’s bedtime called Curls and loved it. According to the publisher’s website, “Little Simon publishes innovative books for young children. Among our award-winning and bestselling titles are Sandra Boynton’s The Going to Bed Book, Karen Katz’s Where Is Baby’s Belly Button?, Robert Sabuda’s The Wizard of Oz pop-up, and David Carter’s The Happy Little Yellow Box. Little Simon’s Classic Board Book collection features timeless favorites perfectly designed for the youngest of readers, such as Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, and Little Quack.” Please see below for more information about the author, illustrator, and publisher.

My Experience: I started reading Bloom for my toddler’s bedtime on 4/21/2022 and we finished it that same night. We read it again right away. We have since read it again multiple nights. Beautiful book! I just loved the illustrations. It looks magical. I also loved the meaning of the story. How each girl blooms as she grew up like a flower slowly blooming. Comparing girls to flowers is the best because flowers are beautiful and to show many girl readers that they are pretty like variety of flowers will just boost their confidence a bit more.

This book started with a girl wearing a blue shirt. The narrator indicated that she blooms. The next page informed readers that this girl in purple shirt blooms too. Another page with a girl wearing a dress and readers learned that she blooms and so does the girl standing next to the sunflowers. Forward into the story, readers will see that there are six girls and they all bloom like flowers. The story went on to indicated that the girls made a garden and so do the readers.

Bloom was well written and illustrated. This book will definitely put a smile on young readers. This book offered a bit of interaction with readers when the friends in the story said that they bloom like flowers and asked if readers do too. At the end of the book, the friends said because they bloom like flowers they in turn made a garden and so do readers. A must read book for toddlers and I highly recommend everyone to read it!

I rate it 5 stars!

Buy it here for free shipping: Book Depository or Simon & Schuster’s website

About the Author & Illustrator:

Ruth Forman is the author of award-winning poetry collections We Are the Young Magicians and Renaissance and children’s books Young Cornrows Callin Out the Moon and Curls. She is the recipient of the Barnard New Women Poets Prize and the PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award, among others. She has presented in forums such as the United Nations, the PBS series The United States of Poetry, and National Public Radio. Ruth is a former teacher of creative writing with the University of Southern California and June Jordan’s Poetry for the People program at UC Berkeley and is a longtime faculty member with the VONA writing program. https://www.ruthforman.com/about/. (Photo provided by the publisher and Info obtained from Simon & Schuster’s website. Book photos obtained from Edelweiss).

Talia Skyles is a Baltimore-based illustrator and painter and is currently working towards her BFA at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Growing up in a family that appreciated the arts, she fell in love with painting both digitally and traditionally at an early age. She currently loves telling stories and creating colorful, emotionally expressive illustrations with a sprinkle of whimsy. Inspired by fantasy books and films, Impressionism, and Rembrandt-era master portraits, she often blends these motifs with strong female subjects to create portraits that feel both classical and modern. She’s also intrigued by color and light and enjoys exploring its impact on the composition, emotion, and storytelling of her work. When not at her drawing table, Talia enjoys reading books, roller-skating with friends, and taking care of her many plant children. (Photo provided by the publisher and Info obtained from Simon & Schuster’s website).

More Information About Simon Kids

Website: http://simonandschusterpublishing.com/little-simon/| Instagram: www.instagram.com/simonkids | Twitter: www.twitter.com/simonkids

***Many thanks to Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.

xoxo,

Jasmine