A Rose Named Peace: How Francis Meilland Created a Flower of Hope for a World at War - Hardcover

Roberts, Barbara Carroll

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1536208434 ISBN 13: 9781536208436

Publisher: Candlewick, 2022

Synopsis

Beautifully illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline, an inspirational biography of the Peace rose and its creator digs deep into world history, botany, and the rewards of perseverance.

From a young man’s experiments in cross-pollination to the rose that became an international symbol of hope, this gentle picture book biography, beautifully illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline, is a quiet epic of war and peace. Francis Meilland was passionate about roses. He loved their rich perfume, their buds unfurling in the summer sun, and their petals, soft as lambs’ ears. Like his father and grandfather before him, Francis cultivated flowers on the family farm in France. In his teens, he set about grafting and experimenting, determined to create a rose no one had seen before, and as the world braced for World War II, he rushed cuttings to rose-growing friends around the globe. Six patient years later, word reached him: his rose had not only flourished; people were calling it the Peace Rose. An ideal gift for science and history buffs and for gardeners of all ages, this life story of a special flower is also a love song to living a dream from beginning to end, through sun and through storm.

About this title

About the Author

Barbara Carroll Roberts is the author of a middle-grade novel Nikki on the Line and lives in Virginia with her husband, two cats, and one very goofy dog.

Bagram Ibatoulline has illustrated many acclaimed books for children, including The Matchbox Diary by Paul Fleischman; On the Blue Comet by Rosemary Wells; The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and Great Joy, both by Kate DiCamillo; and The Serpent Came to Gloucester by M. T. Anderson. Bagram Ibatoulline lives in Chichester, New York.

Reviews

Gr 3-5-On a small farm in the south of France, a beautiful collection of roses bloomed beside fruits and vegetables, all of which were carefully tended by the Meilland family in the early 1900s. Francis Meilland was born in 1912, and he was as passionate about roses as his father and grandfather before him. So, when he observed another gardener's cross-pollinated beauty, Meilland was inspired to try crafting his own unique rose. Patience and tenacity led him to his goal, but as war broke out in Europe, Meilland was left wondering what would happen to his precious creation. This narrative nonfiction picture book tells a lesser-known story about one man's involvement in World War II through beautifully crafted text and illustrations. The story itself unfolds in accessible phrasing that uses such elements as font sizes to punctuate aspects of the narrative. Words are artfully placed within and around the images to ensure that each piece has its own space while working in tandem to tell the story. Most striking of all are the illustrations; using watercolors, Ibatoulline has created tangible images of Meilland's life, and readers of all ages will be in awe of the realistic appearance of each one. At the end of the book is additional information to supplement the text and provide further context. VERDICT This is a stunning and provocative addition to biography collections for elementary school-age children.-Mary R. Lanniα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Edition details

• Publisher: Candlewick
• Publication date: 2022
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1536208434
• ISBN 13: 9781536208436
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Ibatoulline Bagram
• Number of pages: 48