Flowers Only: No Weeds Allowed
Mimi Mazzarella, Barry Goldberg, Yip Jar Book Design
language
(Storybook Genius, LLC, Nov. 2, 2018)
This book teaches the importance of diversity, friendship, speaking up and being heard -- whether you're a little boy, girl, or flower.Flowers Only (no weeds allowed), is a collaboration between celebrated Sesame Street Illustrator, Barry Goldberg, and Author Mimi Mazzarella. Set around the annual flower festival, this book encourages healthy dialogue about the importance of individual rights, diversity, friendship, and speaking up and being heard…whether you’re a little boy, or little girl, or a flower.Dan DeLion is not allowed to go to the annual flower festival, because he is a weed. Iris, his plucky best friend, manages to get him into the gala, but Dan is definitely not welcomed.During a speech at the Festival, a troublemaker named Ritzy Rose proclaims, “This Festival was supposed to be for cultivated flowers only!” But, with Iris standing up for him, the flowers realize how truly wonderful Dan DeLion is!Iris exhibits her “girl power” directness by speaking up for her friend and showing the others that festivals, parties, and life itself, should never be for “Flowers Only.”About the Author:As an author, my secret desire has always been to write books that children explain to adults. For inside a child there is a world of fantasy (and truth) that grownups have long forgotten.As a child, I was encouraged by my mother to see the invisible and do the impossible. Then, as a mother myself, I witnessed the imaginary thoughts and worlds of children through my own sons, Joe and Mike. Now it's my grandchildren, Aidan and Taylor, who - with their whimsies and visions - have taken me to faraway lands where flowers speak, dance, laugh and learn.I am a recently retired high school English teacher. What I miss most about teaching is that wry smile that lights a student's face when he or she grasps the meaning of a thought or theory. For like a dandelion's seed, there is no telling where the wind will carry that awareness.About the Illustrator: Barry Goldberg has a passion to entertain and educate kids. He has worked as a professional artist/illustrator for over 30 years. After Art School he worked at a school and residential program for developmentally disabled children, in 1986 he got his big break working at Neal Adams Continuity studio in NYC. He then worked as a freelance illustrator... as a colorist at DC Comics, Illustrating packaging for toy companies including Nintendo, Mattel, Fisher Price...plus others.Since 1996 he has illustrated over 100 picture books mostly based on popular children's TV shows such as....Sesame Street, the Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Scholastic, and the Henson Company.In 2006 he accepted a position as Character Art Director/Head Illustrator at H.I.T Entertainment where he oversaw all character art relating to Thomas the Tank Engine, Barney, and Bob the Builder.Since 2014 Barry has worked at Sesame Workshop as a staff character artist drawing Elmo, Cookie Monster, Big Bird and the rest of the gang. In addition, Barry continues to work on outside projects that interest him and fulfill his passion to entertain and educate kids.Barry lives on Long Island, New York with his wife, who is a public school teacher. They have three grown children: 2 artists, 1 normal.
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