Blossom and Bud begins in Mr. Baxter’s flower shop. Blossom is a long-stemmed sunflower ashamed of her height and Bud is just that—a bud—who hasn’t blossomed yet and feels self-conscious about it. Mr. Baxter’s flower shop is full of gorgeous flowers of every imaginable shape, length, and hue, giving Blossom and Bud plenty of opportunities for negative self-comparison. The other flowers, which remind one of the Technicolor hecklers in Disney’s Alice in Wonderland, tease the two about their insecurities relentlessly.

At the end of the long day, Mr. Baxter goes home to rest up for what will be a big project starting the next morning. What our heroes don’t realize is that they will be central to this project. Mr. Baxter arrives in a joyful mood of rapturous anticipation, for a wedding is afoot! He pulls out a list of different flowers he needs, and there are two in particular that are especially important. He needs a long-stemmed flower to be the center of the bride’s bouquet and a bud (our Bud) to be the groom’s boutonnière. What Blossom and Bud learn is that everyone, no matter their size or composition, has a place and a purpose unique to them and them alone.

Dr. Sileo’s lovely tale, beautifully illustrated by Brittany E. Lakin, is sure to delight and inspire children of all ages to accept themselves for who and what they are, and to celebrate their differences with pride.

Blossom and Bud both live in Mr. Baxter's Flower Shop, and they're both different from all the rest of the flowers. Blossom tries to hide how tall she is by crouching down and not allowing her true beauty to shine, and Bud, well all he wants to do is bloom, like all the other plants. The really sad thing is the other flowers picked on them, making them feel so much worse than they already do, and then Mr. Baxter finds himself with a special project to complete. That's when all of a sudden they find out just how important and special they truly are, Blossom turns out to be the perfect height, and Bud turns out to be exactly the right size, which means Blossom ends up in the bride's beautiful bouquet and Bud in the groom's lapel, and now the only thing they feel is love and happiness.
This story is full of lovely illustrations, and a wonderful message. I highly recommend this book to become a part of every child's library.

Thank you to Netgalley and Magination Press for this Arc.
The review and opinions are solely my own.

I love this book! The illustrations are perfect and the theme is so needed. I'm thankful that this topic is addressed in a very subtle manner, but not so subtle that you can't grab the meaning quickly. I'm also thankful that the characters used to address the topic are something other than a human. It allows for connection without overt labeling. I will definitely be purchasing this book and adding it to my library.

This is a gorgeous story celebrating diversity.
Blossom and Bud are not like the other flowers. Blossom is very tall and Bud is small and hasn't bloomed. They worry that they need to be more like the other flowers and want to change their appearance. Luckily the florist sees how beautiful and unique they both are and teaches them they are special as they are and don't need to change. They are both chosen to be part of a special wedding day celebration.
This is a lovely simple story for children that is beautifully illustrated. It would be a very useful book for talking to children about how we all look different but we should be happy with our appearance and have a positive body image. Another great book promoting diversity and inclusion.

I adored this precious picture book, which helps kids accept and respect differences in their bodies. I loved the bright colors and the fun art style, and kids are sure to as well. The plot is short and sweet, and I especially appreciate the note in the back written to adult "florists" to better apply the lessons of the book to their little flower's lives. This is wonderful for any parent.

A wonderful Beautifully written children's book about body image and acceptance as we are as well as acceptance of others and their differences .
Each bud is beautiful!

Thanks so much to American Psychological Association and Netgalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

I loved the art, coloring, and the message behind the story. It was enjoyable to both my children and I.

It was a fun and enjoyable read. The illustrations and storyline are perfect for children. Thank you netgalley for providing me with an arc of this book

An inspirational story about how we should not fit in as to what everybody tells us but instead be unique and accept who we are because we all have different purpose in life!

I adore how it is simple and easy to digest. I also love the last part of the book where the author talks about how parents/everybody should educated children on body positivity. Not to mention the amazing illustration! A wonderful read, indeed!

Blossom and Bud live in a beautiful flower shop full of all sorts of shapes, sizes, and colors, but they're self-conscious about how they look and are occasionally teased by the other flowers. It's only when they finally have a chance to be celebrated for their unique characteristics that they understand that happiness comes in all forms.

Using flowers as a metaphor, this is a sweet and gentle ode to body diversity. The illustrations reinforce the theme, showing characters from all walks of life, in several different forms (though I'd still say there was no one on the page who was larger than "slightly plump", but it's a start). The pictures are very bright, detailed, and attractive--they'll definitely keep kids engaged in the story. There is a discussion about body image and acceptance for adults at the end of the book that contains a lot of useful information.

This would be great read for pre-K and early elementary and could spark some very nice discussions about all the wonderfully different ways people look, and how there's room for everyone.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

This book was so sweet and a fun read too!

The illustrations and the storyline were perfect for young children, my daughter started school this year and this is the kind of book I want her to be reading and embracing.

The theme was wonderful and I really liked that she not only understood the message the book was getting over, she loved the story and the images used too.

It is 5 stars from me for this one - everyone is different and special in their own ways and for their own reasons - very highly recommended - a wonderful and positive message!

Free ARC from NetGalley.

Blossom and Bud are two very different flowers, living in a flowershop. They each feel their looks are flawed, and hates the way they look. But the owner of the store has a special need for each of them, a place or a role that fits perfectly with their appearance. They all have something unique and needed.

This teaches children that everyone is needed and perfect just as they are. A really important lesson in today's society.

#BlossomandBud #NetGalley

The message of this story is self-acceptance. While I LOVE the message, the story is entirely too short and rushed. I was hopeful going in but felt disappointed in the abrupt ending.

This book is so cute! A great tale of self-acceptance and living as your true, authentic self! A great way to teach about body image without being too in-your-face about it.

"Blossom and Bud" sounds like a name for botany book. But behold dear readers, this is not your regular plant book. It is a story about self love and body image positivity. It is essential to nurture not only our young bud like readers but also the blossomed adults to educate ourselves on such topics. Recommend it to everyone.

Blossom and Bud is a cute picture book that helps kids see that God made them the way they are for a purpose and that they need to be content in how they are made and stop comparing themselves to others. The story and illustrations flow easily and are beautifully done. This book is great for all ages as everyone needs a reminder sometimes to stop comparing themselves to others.

Blossom and Bud is a beautiful book about loving yourself. It tells the story of body image through the experience of Blossom, the tallest sunflower, and Bud the short little bulb. Neither of them to likes themselves and they are both forced to deal with teasing. Blossom and Bud both come to realize that they are special just the way they are when they find their spotlight in a beautiful wedding. This is a great book to help teach social-emotional concepts.

Blossom and Bud tells of two flowers at the flower shop. Blossom is a sunflower, and does not like that she is so tall, towering over everyone. Bud hates that his flower has not bloomed, and tries to force it to bloom. The other plants in the flower shop make fun of them, making their self-esteem even lower. They don't like their own body images, but that turns around at the end when they are chosen for a "special project" that the florist has. Blossom and Bud become an integral part of a wedding party floral design, and it is BECAUSE they are tall and unflowered that they are chosen.

This book definitely is a great way to teach children about differences among people, and how we should celebrate how we are the same AND how we are different. This book teaches children that we may not love everything about ourselves, but we can be gentle with ourselves, since everyone is not the same. The celebration of differences is definitely a highlight of this book. The illustrations are fabulous, and the subject matter is wonderful. This book would appeal to both older toddlers, and young children and would teach them that we are not all the same, and we should be happy with who we are.

Thank you to the author, illustrator, publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I honestly don't think I could love this book more. It's sweet, it has a great message and it's well executed. The drawings are joyful and beautiful and cute all the same time and I think that this deserves a very high rating. I will recommend it.

Blossom and Bud live in a flower shop. They do not like the way they look and get picked on for their sizes by the other plants. This story is about finding your place and being worthy just the way you are. I love how the art is very diverse and shows different body types, races, and personalities. There is a note at the back for how to cultivate (hehe flower pun) positive body image in your children. It also refers to parents and caregivers as “florists” which I felt was a special touch (because as evidenced earlier, I like puns a lot).

Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.