Plant a Kiss

by Amy Krouse Rosenthal (Author) Peter H Reynolds (Illustrator)

Plant a Kiss
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

From the beloved New York Times bestselling author of Dear Girl, Amy Krouse Rosenthal, a simple and timeless celebration of the power of love.

Little Miss planted a kiss...

One small act of love blooms into something bigger and more dazzling than Little Miss could have ever imagined in this epic journey about life, kindness, and giving.

Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Peter H. Reynolds team together to share a message of hope and to remind us all of the joys to be gained from being open and unselfish.

Plant a Kiss works to spark the imagination of the youngest readers, but it will also resonate with anyone, such as a new graduate, who responds to the power of planting a kiss.

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Publishers Weekly

In what may be a first, Rosenthal and Reynolds demonstrate the benefits of sharing kisses far and wide--without showing a single person-to-person kiss. Rosenthal's (Duck! Rabbit!) verse is stripped down to the bone, yet retains a singsong nursery rhyme quality, while Reynolds (Someday) illustrates in his signature lithe, clean-lined style. After "Little Miss planted a kiss"--she digs a hole and kisses the soil--the girl waters her planting and waits, at first patiently, and then with "doubt" and a "pout." At last her kiss sprouts, and a swirling fountain of polka dots and glitter emerges. Carrying her shimmering kisses in a bowl, the girl shares them generously with others until her supply is depleted. She gets a lovely surprise when she returns to her garden and sees a geyser of kisses rising from the ground, more vivid and sparkly than ever. The punchy rhymes and abstract visualization of kisses keep things from feeling too heavy-handed or saccharine; Rosenthal and Reynolds's collaboration should leave readers considering the rewards of simple gestures. Agent: Amy Rennert Agency. Illustrator's agent: Pippin Properties. Ages 4-8. (Jan.)

Copyright 2011 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1--A clever play on words can only sustain a story for so long, and a weak one even less so. In this oh-so-sweet short rhyming tale, a girl digs a hole, then smooches the ground, literally planting a kiss. With her mostly patient care, this odd "seed" sprouts--a small fountain of pink and yellow dots and textured glitter. Other children gather to witness the unusual crop. In forced rhymes, they try to talk the girl out of distributing her harvest, but to no avail. Scooping up the swirling substance into an enormous red bowl, she travels the world, bestowing this odd gift on a diverse cast of children. Her diaphanous offering trails glitter throughout the pages until the bowl empties. She then returns to the "plant" and discovers that it's grown into a bright yellow entity, a source of "endless bliss." Though Reynolds's distinctive cartoonish illustrations are delightfully expressive, they fail to make up for the flat, strained story. Muddled messages about sharing and imaginative play detract from the plot and confuse readers. Lackluster, despite the glitter overload, and trying too hard to please, this book lacks the effortless charm of Rosenthal's Little Pea (Chronicle, 2005) or Reynolds's Ish (Candlewick, 2004). Libraries with the most devoted Rosenthal and Reynolds fans might want this for their collections; at best, it's an additional purchase for everyone else.--Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, formerly at Chappaqua Library, NY

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"Her [Amy Krouse Rosenthal] books radiate fun the way tulips radiate spring; they are elegant and spirit-lifting"—New York Times Book Review
Amy Krouse Rosenthal
AMY KROUSE ROSENTHAL is the author of lots of books for children (such as That's Me Loving You, On the Spot, and Uni the Unicorn, of course) and even some books for grown-ups (like Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life). You can find more about Amy online at whoisamy.com.

BRIGETTE BARRAGER (Uni the Unicorn) is an artist, designer, and illustrator and writer of children's books. She spent some time at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios before taking the plunge into freelance illustration, where she's lived happily ever after. She resides in Los Angeles with her handsome husband, cute doggy, and terrible cat. Visit Brigette at brigetteb.com.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780061986758
Lexile Measure
220
Guided Reading Level
J
Publisher
HarperCollins
Publication date
December 27, 2011
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039090 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | New Experience
JUV017070 - Juvenile Fiction | Holidays & Celebrations | Valentine's Day
Library of Congress categories
Stories in rhyme
Picture books for children
Love stories
Love
Sharing
Beehive Awards
Nominee 2014 - 2014

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