The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Elschner, Géraldine

Max's Magic Seeds

32 pp. | Penguin/Minedition | June, 2007 | Trade ISBN 978-0-698-40059-7 $16.99

(3) K-3 Translated by Charise Myngheer. Illustrated by Jean-Pierre Corderoch. For his birthday, a boy receives flower seeds from his uncle then secretly scatters them around town. By story's end, the "flower magician" is unmasked. The premise is derivative of Barbara Cooney's Miss Rumphius, but this European import adds a dose of botany and school life to the story. Cheerful paintings that illustrate the boy's quaint town complement the upbeat tale.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty