Little Palm: An Earth Day Celebration
Lindsay Ann Fink
Balboa Press. 2021
ISBN: 978-1-9822-760-7
Reviewed by Lydia (age 7) for Reader Views Kids (01/2022)
“Little Palm” is the story of a palm tree who has some friends who help her dress up. Today, Little Palm has a party she needs to get ready for: an Earth Day party that is also her birthday! Good thing Little Palm likes to dress up, because her friends, Tavi and Tylee, like to make her colorful and sparkly. When you first see Little Palm, she already looks dressed up with a sunhat, earrings, and a necklace. The girls first decide to paint her with red and blue stripes and white stars, but then decide on another idea. Their next idea is to paint her like a mermaid – this one is really cool to see! Their third idea is the sparkliest and fanciest of all, but then their fourth idea is more simple but also more colorful. Which design will Little Palm like best? Will she get to stay painted and dressed up that way forever, or will there be any more surprise designs that the girls come up with?
My favorite design is either the mermaid or the very last one because of how colorful it is and different. I liked the story because it was about people working together; Little Palm couldn’t decorate herself, so the girls helped. I like that they were celebrating a birthday, but also that they were celebrating Earth Day together. I like that I could read this book by myself if I wanted, but enjoyed my mom reading it to me most times. I really liked the extra coloring page at the end of the book to decorate your own Little Palm; I got two copies to make for my two best friends.
A Note from Mom: Little Palm teaches about friendship, cooperation, and celebration of all things on the earth. Big themes are rolling with the punches and problem-solving; “Little Palm” helps kids understand that even when something unexpected happens, there’s no sense in getting upset; just figure out how to do what you originally wanted with what you’ve got. I enjoyed reading “Little Palm” to Lydia not only because it is a cute children’s book with a good message that includes a coloring sheet at the end for entertainment and creativity, but because reading it in the chilly winter makes things seem a little warmer around me!
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