Review: The Rare, Tiny Flower

The author of And The People Stayed Home is back at it again with another picture book! The Rare, Tiny Flower by Kitty O’Meara and Quim Torres is a beautiful picture book all about perspective that can help teach young readers about valuing the experiences of others.

The Rare, Tiny Flower begins with a forest and a bird that drops a seed. The seed grows a flower that no one can seem to agree on. Some believe it is blue, while others see red. Everyone weighs in and the issue escalates. Experts are consulted, but no one can come to an agreement. But thankfully, as tensions mount to a breaking point, a young girl thoughtfully shares the lesson of perspective with everyone.

I love the message of valuing others’ perspectives, and it seems especially necessary in today’s environment. I know the idea itself isn’t revolutionary, but with division all around, it feels like an act of resistance to genuinely listen when the people around us share their thoughts and experiences.

The illustrations are delightful, and I particularly appreciate the way the colors slowly become more and more alive with each page turn. I also love the way the end pages draw attention to this detail, but I’m always a sucker for end pages.

You can find The Rare, Tiny Flower wherever picture books are sold, including Bookshop and Amazon. (Please note: Some links provided are affiliate links. Affiliate links allow me to receive a small commission for recommendations at no cost to you. This commission is used to maintain this site and to continue bringing content to you. I always appreciate your support!)

Thank you so much to TRA Publishing for sharing a review copy of The Rare, Tiny Flower with me!

About The Author:

Kitty O’Meara lives near Madison, Wisconsin, with her husband, Phillip Hagedorn, their five rescue dogs, two cats, gardens, and books. Formerly a middle school writing and literature teacher and hospital and hospice chaplain, she is currently a spiritual director and has been a lifelong writer and artist. She has been called “the poet laureate of the pandemic” based on her wildly popular, widely circulated, and hopeful poem about the Covid-19 pandemic. That poem is illustrated and presented in book form in the bestselling And the People Stayed Home, published by Tra Publishing.

About The Illustrator:

Quim Torres is an award-winning illustrator and author based in Barcelona. He has illustrated several children’s books, including the recent Tra Publishing titles Sweet People Are Everywhere by Alice Walker and The Rare, Tiny Flower by Kitty O’Meara (both 2021). He has studied art as healing and Gestalt psychology, and he teaches workshops in which drawing becomes a means of self-discovery. He believes that people are made of stories, and he hopes his drawings inspire others to share their tales. He feels that art is a healing force.

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