Cris Arbo
fine art and illustration
The Dandelion Seed's Big Dream
The Dandelion Seed’s Big Dream
by Joseph Anthony (Author), illustrated by Cris Arbo: 32 pages
Publisher: Dawn Publications (CA)
(an accelerated reader title)
Consider the dandelion. It lives life fully, flies with beauty, survives storms, endures darkness, never gives up. It is one of nature s greatest success stories. Like dandelions, each of us can make the world a brighter place. The trick is to bloom right where we are.
Back matter includes information and activities about dandelions and weeds, seed dispersal, and the theme of courage, patience, and perseverance. . . .
Also published in Chinese
Awards
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The Gelett Burgess Children’s Book Award
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Purple Dragonfly Book Award, 1st Place
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Green Book Festival, Honorable Mention
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Next Generation Indie Book Award Finalist (Children’s Non-Fiction and Children’s Picture Book)
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Mom's Choice Awards Honoring Excellence
Reviews
"This follow-up to The Dandelion Seed, also exquisitely illustrated by Cris Arbo, further exemplifies how well this husband and wife team combine words and pictures to convey simple yet vital nature stories….The end result is a powerful and fulfilling story, deceptively simple on the page.”
- Green Teacher Magazine, Toronto
“Beautifully illustrated…. it teaches young children that it takes patience, perseverance, and courage to make one’s dream come true."
-Southern Early Childhood Association
This sequel to The Dandelion Seed (Dawn, 1997) literally begins where the previous volume ends, using the final illustration in that book to begin this story of a dandelion seed’s journey. Instead of drifting over idyllic natural landscapes like its predecessor, this seed floats to a city. Rather than falling into “rich, soft earth,” the seed ends up in a Styrofoam container in a junk-strewn lot.
Only after a clean-up crew arrives in spring to prepare a community garden can the seed put down roots and fulfill its dream of blooming. Minimal text on colorful spreads facilitates group sharing. Two pages of information and suggested activities about dandelion growth, seed dispersal, and related topics will help adults plan ways to extend learning.
Together with the original, this book should stimulate discussions of themes, such as patience, beauty, and courage, as well as a debate about a dandelion’s status as flower or weed. Libraries without the earlier volume might consider purchasing the pair, although the new book can stand alone.
- School Library Journal
"The Dandelion Seed's Big Dream" is a sequel to the children's picture book, "The Dandelion Seed." It follows the drifting journey of a feathered dandelion seed through the air, past countryside scenes of green to an urban setting, through cement buildings and sidewalks and littered alleys, coming to rest at last among discarded wrappings and trash in a forgotten spot of urban earth.
But the dandelion seed had a big dream and refused to give up, even through a long winter. Spring came, and hands took away refuse and trash and prepared the vacant earth for urban gardens of growing things. The dandelion seed knew just how to cooperate with helping hands, sun, rain and earth, it grew and blossomed! Many more seeds also grew and blossomed from their dreams in their own time, and every one made the world more beautiful.
Incredibly detailed natural illustrations express the hope and joy of "The Dandelion Seed's Big Dream," along with the darker obstacles and messy delays to be overcome with patience and persistence. Connecting children with nature is a respectful valued theme of "The Dandelion Seed's Big Dream," along with its prequel, "The Dandelion Seed."
Both volumes are created by a well-matched husband and wife author/illustrator team with a far-reaching vision of harmony with man and nature.
- Midwest Book Review
“This tale of the journey of a simple seed turns out to be surprisingly suspenseful. Sure to inspire a deeper appreciation of not only dandelions, but of the web of life that connects us all, this lovingly told and beautifully illustrated tale will appeal to anyone who has yearned for a place to grow and bloom.”
- Terra Brockman, founder of The Land Connection
"The Dandelion Seed’s Big Dream emphasizes the themes of courage, patience, and perseverance…. I happen to like the bright blossoms of the dandelion, and I also like this book.”
- Wayne Walker, Home School Book Review
“Anthony and Arbo turn the journey of a familiar weed seed into a parable of perseverance.”
- Kirkus reviews
“This book was written and illustrated by a husband and wife team, and the artwork of Cris Arbo is incredibly impressive. She does not use a computer for her illustrations, rather she creates all of them by hand using paints and pencils. The detail is astounding. At first I thought the illustrations were created from photographs that were painted - that’s how realistic these pictures really are…. You love the fact that this book is not copy heavy, rather it flows along in perfect harmony with the exceptional illustrations. Your child will thoroughly enjoy studying each picture to see all the detail and discover where the seed is hiding.”
- Debbie Glade, Smart Books For Smart Kids
"Readers and listeners will find themselves rooting for the little seed and will feel satisfied with its happy ending. Arbo’s realistic artwork is rich with detail for children of all ages to examine and enjoy."
- 2nd Grade Reading.net