Florette

Have you ever had to leave the place you called home and start over in a new city? This simple yet heartfelt picture book explores universal themes of hope, determination, and friendship that resonate with readers of all ages. Mae’s imaginative search for nature in the heart of the city encourages readers to look at the world around them with fresh eyes. Florette (“little flower” in French) is a gentle reminder that beauty can be found in unexpected places.  

Florette follows Mae and her small dog as they adjust to life in a new city. After moving from the countryside, Mae and her family settle into a tall apartment building. On the opening page, the wilted flower she carries foreshadows the challenges of adapting to an unfamiliar environment. Encouraged by her mom to create “a new garden,” Mae looks out her apartment window and wonders if there’s room for nature in the city. 

When Mae ventures outside, she returns feeling uninspired. Although surrounded by her family, her loneliness is evident as she adjusts to her new surroundings. She observes sadly that “there was no room among the crowded buildings for apple trees and daffodils.” 

Over the next few days, Mae tries to create nature herself, drawing flowers and animals in chalk on the cobblestone street below her apartment and on the stacked moving boxes inside her home. But these efforts can’t recreate the outdoors. Determined, she grabs her binoculars and peers out the window and spies an open space “with trees and a swing.” For the first time, she sees a glimmer of hope. 

With her mother, sibling, and dog by her side, Mae leads her family through the city in search of the space she spotted from her window. The park turns out to be smaller than she imagined, but disappointment gives way to curiosity when a bird catches her attention. Following its path around the corner, she discovers a magnificent plant shop just as the bird flies through an open window. 

What Mae finds is unlike anything she has seen before: a towering neighborhood shop with floor-to-ceiling windows overflowing with lush foliage. To Mae, its grand scale feels like a “leafy forest,” making her seem wonderfully small. The shop’s name, Florette, subtly foreshadows the transformation awaiting her, reminding readers that, like a flower, she can take root and flourish in a new place. 

For parents, the story’s portrayal of moving may inspire quiet reflection on how a shift in perspective can transform one’s experience. For readers, Mae’s determination to find nature within the confines of a city is inspiring. Though the shop is closed, she discovers a small green sprout growing through a crack in its wall. She brings it home, plants it in a jar on her windowsill, and inspires neighborhood children to do the same. Before long, the neighborhood is alive with plants, flowers, birds, friendship, and a renewed sense of community. The illustrations do much of the storytelling, quietly charting this transformation as color, greenery, and human connection spread from page to page. 

The delicate watercolor illustrations evolve from soft, muted tones to vibrant greens, mirroring Mae’s emotional journey from uncertainty to hope. As the neighborhood blossoms alongside her, readers share in her newfound sense of belonging. With just one to four sentences per page, the text is approachable for early readers. In the end, Mae creates more than a garden—she cultivates a community. 

Sexual Content  

• None

Violence  

• None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

• None 

Language  

• None 

Supernatural 

• None

Spiritual Content  

• None

by Maureen Lowe