Today I'm grateful for the return of the wildflowers!
Just look at our Grand girl as she explores the field of blue in her lavender dress; it's the perfect picture for today's PPBF pick from Flashlight Press.
Author: Melody C. Peugh
Illustrator: Eve Farb
Publisher: Flashlight Press
Birth Date: May 6, 2025
Suitable for: ages 5-7
Themes: imagination, adventure, friendship
Brief synopsis: Is a mud-pie on the menu for Ella's party with the ladies this afternoon? If not, then she and Lavender had best be extra careful as they explore and play prior to her date with mom.
Opening page: An elephant dropped in this morning to play,
bouncing me high off the bed where I lay.
He wasn't quite purple. He wasn't quite gray.
He was ... Lavender!
Resources: Check out the book's trailer {here}.
Find activities from the book's publisher {here}.
Preorder the book at Amazon {here}.
Why I like this book: This intriguing newcomer has playtime and fun written all over it. From the moment that Ella awakens, I'm whisked away, back to the early 1990s, when my niece Danielle would host tea parties with her stuffed bears and talk with the imaginary deer that she saw outside. I wanted so badly to be able to see what she saw, to experience the joy that she felt as she pointed them out to me from her second-story window, so I'm right there with Ella, whose imagination brings her Lavender elephant to life in this delightful adventure. The striking illustrations pop off of the pages to make the words even more engaging and real. And my heartstrings felt a tug every time that Ella speaks so tenderly to her bestie, Lavender:
Silly Lavender.
Beat you, Lavender.
Watch out, Lavender.
Up here, Lavender.
Uh oh, Lavender.
You'll need lots of time for this gorgeous read-aloud because there's so much to look at; anticipate many questions, observations, connections to accompany this text, perfect as a favorite tuck-in treasure.
In school, try this as a follow-up writing or speaking prompt:
What would it really be like to live with an elephant?
Or any another animal, like Danielle's deer.
Host a tea party; invent a new tea flavor and write
a persuasive paragraph convincing your friends
to try your new concoction with your cookies.
Check out this book, then head over to Susanna Hill's blog
for today's other fascinating PPBF finds.
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