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Dandylion ISBN: 9781862305960
Finlay, Lizzie
Published by Red Fox, 2009
This is a truly original story, and it may take a little sophistication on the part of the child to understand the nuances. When Dandylion arrives in Miss Gardener's class, the children are open-mouthed - literally. He looks different, rather scruffy, and is bright yellow. But his bounce and verve soon win them over. Dandylion is, however, so much his own person that he makes messes, eats odd lunches, and plays 'scarechase' in the playground instead of tag. Miss Gardener often must have 'quiet words', and when the children announce that he is getting them into trouble, and is 'like a weed', he sadly makes his way home. Grandpa-Clock is able to reassure Dandylion that 'we all need special people to come and stir up our lives for us.' And he bounces back to a school that has missed hm and children who are dressed in sunny yellow - like wildflowers. The whole concept - a class of colourless children sitting in rows on a green (grass) rug, with a teacher called Miss Gardener, into which comes a weed - a dandilion - works extremely well. We see the children change from tidy, neat little things into a riot of colour and adventure - Miss Gardener too - and we all learn that being different can bring colour and fun into ordinary lives. Superb!
Age: 5+