The Girl
Who Talks To Flowers

For readers aged 8+

Bumble is in the fifth grade, and has always thought it was her fault that her mom died when she was two and her dad took off before she was born. As a result, she’s super vigilant about never being a burden to Grampa B. One day, she stands up to a bully a little too forcefully and thinks she’s ruined everything – her relationship with her teacher, her friendship with the boy she stood up for, and Grampa B’s opinion of her as a good kid. Their relationship is further tested when she discovers a letter from her mom he’s been hiding all these years.

Imagine Bumble's surprise when she seeks comfort amid the seedlings in Grampa B’s greenhouse and the flowers begin talking to her. Armed with the wisdom of green and growing things, she begins to make things right with the people she’s disappointed. And slowly, as the plants share stories of the mother she barely remembers, they begin to heal the ache of a loss she never truly understood.

The Girl
Who Talks to Seeds

For readers aged 8+

Now that she’s in sixth grade, Bumble was hoping to feel more content and settled. But she’s become restless and preoccupied with a question that has always nagged at her: why exactly did her dad leave before she was born? And why hasn’t he ever come back? With the help of her best friend Seebo, and the talking flowers she reunites with at a client’s garden, Bumble sets out to find answers. With only two clues—his common-as-clouds name and a tiny jar of seeds he gave Bumble’s mom before she was born—the odds are against finding him? And even if she does, will she be able to forgive what he’s done and accept who he is? As she comes to understand the sacrifices and compromises flowers and the wild weeds they co-exist with must make, Bumble must decide which compromises she is able to live with, and which sacrifices are worth making.

Stella Dreams of Trees

For readers aged 10+

Stella’s just moved to New Hampshire where she’s about to start Middle School. Stella’s begun to resent her mom’s priorities—especially her decision to stay in California for her job—and sees what it’s doing to her beleaguered dad and little brother Sammy, who’s a shy bed-wetter with no friends. When her anger balloons into genuine hatred, she secretly wishes her mom would fall and break a bone. Already struggling with insomnia and indecision, Stella now harbors secret shame. When she and Sammy discover a magical portal in their backyard that transports them to an idyllic oasis called The Dreamwoods, Sammy wanders off and gets lost in the adjacent Dark Forest. Stella must find a way to bring him home. But the Dark Forest is where secrets and shame entrap them. To be released from the Dark Forest, they'll have to share their secrets and let go of their shame.

Medley Milkweed Finds a Way

For readers ages 8+

When a Northern California hillside develops a puzzling illness, the trees, for all their boasting about being superior plants, are rooted to their spots and incapable of seeking help. But Dandelion and Milkweed, who have been condemned as blights on their pristine terrain, see an opportunity to prove they’re worthy of the soil they share. The dying weeds each dispatch one of their downy seeds on a mission to find a cure for their habitat. Our airborne heroes—a scrawny dandelion seed and a nearsighted milkweed seed—must navigate merciless and unpredictable winds, convince hungry birds not to eat them, and most importantly avoid sprouting before their quest is fulfilled. By reframing their flaws and frailties as gifts, the two seeds learn to work as a team as they battle natural and urban obstacles, not always emerging unscathed. They must stand up to the not-in-my-backyard flowers, shrubs, and grasses they encounter along the way who propagate unshakeable prejudices about weeds. In order to demonstrate how vital weeds are to the entire plant community, they must overcome the limitations of their wee stature and win the trust of judgy plants—or risk losing their beloved hillside home forever.

Marigold Picture Book Collection