The Paper-Flower Tree
The Paper-Flower Tree
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Written and illustrated by Jacqueline Ayer
One wonderful day, an old peddler arrives in the small village in faraway Thailand where a little girl named Miss Moon lives. He brings a tree with him, fashioned of brightly colored paper flowers. How Miss Moon longs to have such a tree! When the old man gives her one of the flowers in parting, she plants its seed—a black bead—and tends it faithfully. Little black beads can't sprout and grow, of course, but Miss Moon's faith is rewarded all the same.
Filled with the sights and sounds of Thailand, this touching tale is true to childhood the world over. In these pages, Ayer's bold color and expressive illustrations draw us into a world that feels both intriguingly foreign and wonderfully familiar.
Back in print for the first time since 1962, this wonderful book was written and illustrated by Jacqueline Ayer while living and working in Thailand.
ISBN: 978-1-59270-224-4
10" (W) x 7.75" (H) • 40 pages • HCJ
Grade Level: 2
Interest Level: K-5
Lexile Level: 570
Guided Reading Level: M
AWARDS AND REVIEWS
"A warm and whimsically illustrated parable about the moral courage of withstanding cynicism and the generative power of the affectionate imagination…" —Maria Popova, Brain Pickings
"The book captures, in a way that is completely devoid of any sentimentality, the persistent, stubborn hope of young children. ... Ayer brings Thailand to vivid life, and Enchanted Lion has put great care and consideration, as they always do, into the book’s reproduction. You’re going to want to hold a copy in hand to feel the cover and pages and take in Ayer’s artwork." ―Julie Danielson, Kirkus Reviews
"Blocks of color, and fine lines alternating with crosshatching and patches of rough pencil, give a mystical feeling to this lovely tale from Southeast Asia." ―Meghan Cox Gurdon, The Wall Street Journal
”Ayer's bold use of primary colors and the thoughtfully and uniquely crafted faces of the villagers deliver readers directly into Miss Moon's Thai community, while economical pencil strokes guide the eye to the most essential action in each scene and leave the rest to the imagination. As a character, Miss Moon is easily relatable; she is an everychild. Her resolve and stalwart faith will resonate with children, and their caregivers will find Miss Moon's consuming passion for one hard-to-find object familiar.” —Lauren Younger, New York Public Library, School Library Journal
On Jacqueline Ayer:
"I regress with joy to the delicately drawn world of Jacqueline Ayer's Siam" —Sylvia Plath on A Wish for Little Sister for The New Statesman (1961)
“Jackie grew up believing that she could accomplish anything. She was graceful, charming, smart, drew beautifully and had an innate sense of style and fashion. ... What is always difficult to understand is the degree to which she changed every culture she was embedded in, from editorial pages to clothing design to fabrics and children’s books. Her parents, the neighborhood, her schooling and the remarkable century we shared all contributed to her extraordinary life.” —Milton Glaser