Nonfiction Wednesday: Bloom

I hope all my fellow Canadians had a happy and glorious day celebrating our home and native land over the weekend. How fitting, then, that I should be sharing a picture book from Canadian kid lit power team Kyo Maclear and Julia Morstad this week!

Bloom: A Story of Fashion Designer Elsa Schiaparelli

I know we’re often told not to judge a book by its cover, but this is one case where I think we’re all allowed to make an exception. This cover is absolutely beautiful, and it’s reflective of the kind of stunning artwork featured throughout the book. Bloom tells the story of pioneering fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli, a strong, fearless, brilliant and utterly inspiring woman. Schiaparelli, driven by passion, imagination and a creative desire that refused to be quenched, worked tirelessly to make her fashion dreams come true, and changed the fashion world forever.

These are the kinds stories I love to share with children, stories that show people achieving their goals and following their passions through perseverance, hard work, determination and a willingness to take risks and to fail. Children are so often told to follow their dreams and “be themselves”, but following one’s dreams can be fraught with disappointment and challenge, and children must be encouraged to develop resiliency and confidence, determination and endurance.  They must be willing to take risks, and to fail. Talent is rarely enough in this world – it’s blood, sweat and tears that make dreams a reality.

It’s also important for young people to know that, as the book notes, being yourself and following your dreams can sometimes mean challenging the status quo, which can bring disapproval and condemnation, even from those closest to you. Schiaparelli’s parents disapproved of her passionate, creative nature and thought her dreams foolish, but she persisted, nonetheless. Being yourself can bring pain as well as pleasure, but the satisfaction of knowing you did everything you could and lived your life to the fullest can be worth every bit of it.

Bloom is a longer picture book, one that would likely best suit older readers who will connect with Maclear’s elegant text. I’m a passionate supporter of picture books for all ages, and I would happily recommend this title to older elementary school children, even middle school and high school students wanting to learn more about a fascinating female trailblazer. Morstad’s illustrations are as beautiful as you would expect, and turn each page into a work of art.

Be sure to add this breathtakingly beautiful book to your picture book biography collection, and be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy for more great nonfiction kids books!

Source: Penguin Random House Canada