The Legend of the Flower-Man

The Legend of the Flower Man is, first and foremost, a journey of initiation. The absence of suspense and the simple, but profound narrative aims at something more: to teach the little reader that events are not only made up of surfaces, but they also have a depth, which can be understood only though reflective thinking. Two of the main ideas in the text are: there are other truths than those which can be understood through the mind and, one cannot be truly happy in the absence of an authentic value system in which one can anchor one’s being.
This is an educational book, in character and also in structure. Each fragment of the story is accompanied by a complementary exercise page, which targets several aspects of personal development. Some exercises and games are aimed at the development of the rational mind, others at the emotional development of the child, others aim at the formation and appreciation of values and, yet, others – drops of silence – combine physical movement with relaxation techniques. This rather unusual mix, at first sight, is far from being accidental. The goal of this combination of exercises is, as specified in the afterword, to promote a cross-curricular approach to education.
As de Saint-Exupéry’s Little Prince taught his reader that one cannot see clearly except with one’s heart, this work reminds us of the transformational power of love, the only force capable of placing humans back on the vertical axis of the values that forge their being:
“Whether we are aware or not, we act in accordance to the values in which we believe. And there are values by which mankind had always measured its happiness. Balance, peace, love, forgiveness, generosity seem to be our second genetic code, an inbuilt program which whatever we are deeply depends on. Whatever we are and whatever we have do not shut out each other. But, by all means, there is a certain weave of what we are on which the beauty of our life and a feeling of complete fulfilment depend.”