shine she does!

Rosie Sprout’s Time to Shine, Allison Wortche, Patrice Barton (illus.)

Rosie Sprout has to always hear about how her classmate Violet is amazing at EVERYTHING! “She ran the fastest in gym class. She sang the highest in choir practice. She was the loudest storyteller at lunch. And she looked the fanciest on picture day…Violet was definitely the best. And everyone agreed. Except Rosie.” 

Rosie’s jealousy comes to a head when the class is growing peas and Violet’s plant is taller than hers, so she buries the sprout, but guilt kicks in when Violet is out sick with chicken pox and Rosie realizes that the right thing to do is to take care of Violet’s plant as if it were her own. This is a lovely story about facing up to your feelings of jealousy, and then doing the right thing. 

Also, I absolutely love love love Patrice Barton’s beautiful illustrations: her soft hues, her curling pea plant, the emotions of each character present in her elegant art work! Publisher’s Weekly hit the nail on the head when they said of Barton’s illustrations, “digital classroom sketches convey a tumult of emotion and have just the right amounts of energy and vulnerability.”

Kirkus Review

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