Review of Sidewalk Flowers by JonArno Lawson and Sydney Smith

Sidewalk Flowers

Sidewalk Flowers is a picture book targeted toward young audiences from preschool to youth (Grades 1-3). This book would appeal to creative children that enjoy putting their own words to stories when reading with adults. It would likely have little appeal outside of this audience, as older readers, in most cases, gravitate toward text-based works.

The book is beautifully illustrated with minimal, yet meaningful, use of colour. It appears to be a moving meditation on that theme – its vibrancy increases throughout, depicting the cumulative impact of a little girl‘s actions as the story proceeds.

The book‘s overarching concept is reflective of our complicated, modern day lives as it follows a young girl and her father on a walk. Adults are conflicted by the challenges of living in a wired world while children find beauty in simple things. It is a powerful message that small, kindly gestures often have the most impact. This provides a great springboard for conversations with children about the importance of giving and positive intention. The author succeeds in communicating this worthwhile message.

I felt emotionally connected to the book as a parent to young children. They flipped through it with me and understood its message as the girl presents the gift of flowers to a number of recipients from animals to people. When the girl shakes a dog‘s paw as her father shakes a man‘s hand, adult readers will be reminded that children are always watching and modeling their caregivers‘ actions. At times, I felt that there was something missing as I wanted to know how the people reacted when they discovered the girl‘s gift. The author states that both “giver and recipient are transformed by their encounter”, yet how the recipient is transformed is unclear. However, this is a minor detail that has little effect on the book‘s impact. Overall, I enjoyed the book‘s gentle reminder to slow down and take time to appreciate the present moment. It is a great “read” for young families.

Reviewed by Connie Miazga

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