Flower Girl

May 15, 2023
Nicki’s “funnest” and “coolest” aunt Carmela is marrying “nice, and funny, and very, very useful” Big Dave, shown in softly textured art by Walhgren as helping the brown-skinned young protagonist liberate cookies from a high-up jar. Nicki eagerly awaits her role as flower girl, Bloom writes, until faced with the prospect of wearing a dress. But after confirming that she’s “still all in for love and pretty petals” Dad suggests a solution: a snazzy suit, complete with a polka-dot bow tie. “GORGEOUS!” Dad says, and on the big day, Aunt Carmela concurs, adding, “Tiger, you gotta be you.” With steady warmth and vivid renderings of an unconditionally loving family shown with various skin tones, the creators show that there’s no single standard around gender expression or sartorial appropriateness. What matters is being true to oneself—and one’s own fabulousness—and bringing joy and love to others. Ages 3–5.

August 25, 2023

PreS-Gr 3-Nicki is thrilled when her coolest aunt, Carmela, asks her to be the flower girl in her upcoming wedding. "I am all in for love and pretty petals!" Yet when Nicki sees a flower girl dress in the wedding store, she gets quiet and sad. She tells Aunt Carmela she doesn't want to be a flower girl. The next day, her dad takes her along while he tries on his suit for the wedding. He asks her to try one on, too, and a confident Nicki emerges from the dressing room in a light purple suit with a red polka dotted bow tie. "'You're GORGEOUS!' Dad said. 'I guess I am, ' said Nicki." At the wedding, Aunt Carmela tells Nicki, "You gotta be you. And YOU are the best Flower Girl ever." Soft, charming comic illustrations portray Nicki's family with a variety of skin colors. Concise text rich in sensory and emotional description is well suited to be read aloud. The beauty of this story is how completely accepting Nicki's family is. When she can't find the words to express her feelings over the dress, her dad seems to know exactly what to do. After Nicki finally admits she's "not really a dress kind of girl," her dad simply nods and says, "Never have been." Nicki's family not only accepts but celebrates her choice in wedding attire. Their affirming words and actions bring her joy and an obvious sense of belonging. Nicki never questions her gender identity: she is happy to be called a flower girl and clearly thinks of herself as a girl. VERDICT Whether used to explore the concept of gender expression or to model how to encourage people to express and live out their true selves, this is a heartwarming story of love and affirmation, and a flower girl who prefers a suit to a dress.-Elizabeth Lovsin

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.