How to Talk to Your Succulent

Gr 4 Up--After the death of her mother, Adara's dad, struggling to cope with his grief alone, moves them to Michigan to live with her grandma. As Adara tries to find her new normal, her father's overprotectiveness feels suffocating. When he notices Adara engaging with nature as her mother did, he finds strength and encourages her to open her heart by introducing a new plant into her life. As Adara grows into her gift of speaking with flora, she delights in discovering her mother's plant family. Over the course of the story, Adara tries to balance her mourning, new friendships, her dad's emotional needs, and her plant companions' blossoming requirements, but struggles to keep up. Persico offers readers a tender yet unflinching exploration of grief, delving into jealousy, sadness, and the many ways loss affects people. The text also underscores the importance of self-care when supporting others who grieve differently. For the story, told in long chapters, the soft, cartoon-style artwork brilliantly captures tone and mood through its colors and intricate details. The illustrations, paired with the utterly charming characters, make this book a must-read. Adara's story concludes on a hopeful note, perhaps inspiring readers to let happiness take root. VERDICT With enchanting artwork and profound storytelling, this debut offers windows and mirrors into the grieving process, and will move readers to tears--in the best way.--Angie Jameson

Copyright 2025 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

During Thanksgiving break, 11-year-old Adara and her father move from California to Michigan to live with her grandmother. Adara misses her late mother, who could communicate with plants, and tries talking to her mother's plants herself, but it doesn't feel the same. Despite her grief and loneliness, she soon befriends classmate Winnie, an artist, whom she meets after following a mysterious creature into nearby woods. When her dad takes her to get a plant, Adara chooses a pink succulent, which she names Perle, and her own latent ability to converse with plants awakens. Perle provides her with new avenues through which Adara develops friendships and processes her feelings. But her experience taking care of her mother's houseplants doesn't translate as well to caring for Perle. As Adara advocates for her needs, she also learns how to show up for the people--and plants--she loves. Persico (Georgia's Terrific, Colorific Experiment) pairs bold colors, lively botanicals, and visual allegories for grief and disillusionment with swift dialogue and Adara's introspective first-person narration, resulting in a gentle graphic novel about loss and connection. Characters are depicted with varying skin tones. Ages 8-12. (Apr.)

Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

A touching story rooted in grief and healing.