The Reluctant Flower Girl

Barasch, Lynne

ISBN 10: 0060288108 ISBN 13: 9780060288105

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2001

Synopsis

Knowing that her big sister's marriage is going to cause her best friend to move away, Annabel plots the perfect way to ruin the ceremony in order to stop the event, but better judgement makes her rethink her plans in the end and soon the right decision has to be made.

About this title

About the Author

Lynne Barasch was inspired to create this book by her own two daughters' reluctance to see their big sister get married. Fortunately, the girls-like this story's spunky heroine--found that they were not losing a sister but gaining a brother.

Ms. Barasch is the author and illustrator of several books for children, including Radio Rescue, Old Friends, A Winter Walk, and Rodney's Inside Story. She lives in New York City.

From Booklist

Ages 4-8. "Even though she's a grown-up," April's best friend is her big sister Annabel. So when Annabel decides to marry and asks April to be her flower girl, April dreads the upcoming day and her sister's departure. April perks up when Annabel tries on a series of unsuitable gowns--one looks like a tablecloth, another like a stack of pancakes--and she does her best to dissuade the groom by playing pranks and telling lies (Annabel snores and wets the bed). But eventually Annabel finds the perfect dress; the playful, good-natured groom remains devoted; and the day arrives. April's last chance to stop the wedding comes during the ceremony, when the ring drops and only April sees where it lands, but she chooses to pick up the ring, to cheers and kisses, and stays to see the married couple leave. Her sad return home is softened when she finds a present from Annabel: the cake's bride and groom figurines and an invitation to a sleepover after the honeymoon. In simple, perfectly paced text and appealing pen-and-watercolor cartoon drawings, Barasch, the author of the recent Radio Rescue (2000), nicely captures a young girl's sense of loss, leavening it with plenty of humor and lighthearted detail. Children facing the departure of their own beloved siblings, whether to a wedding, college, or adult life, will recognize April's anxiety and find comfort in the book's reassuring message that relationships endure. See the Read-alike opposite for other titles about kids' wedding experiences. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0060288108
• ISBN 13: 9780060288105
• Binding: Library Binding
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 40
• Illustrator: Barasch Lynne