Willow and the Wildflowers

An anxious brown bear grows from fearful to courageous in this gently triumphant tale. Though Willow typically prefers to stay in her cozy tree stump home (“She was afraid of everything”), a mail advert announcing a field of wildflowers piques her interest, and she ventures forth anyway, taking a raft down a river. En route, new friends help her appreciate the journey—including myriad experiences that typically scare her. A frog encourages her to dip “one toe” in the frightening water, and a raccoon assists Willow in overcoming her fear of the dark. Employing paint and paper textures with digital layering techniques, Schufman’s flattened, color-stained landscapes provide a friendly, stylized backdrop amid which the protagonist’s transformation occurs. Their final destination neatly foregrounds the story’s various threads as the support that comes from friendship and the comfort to be found in nature lead to realizations that allow Willow to be more easily in the world. Ages 4–8. (June)