Thursday, August 9, 2012

Plant A Kiss by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Plant A Kiss by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Peter Reynolds

Rating: 4.5 stars

Lately I've been thinking a lot about love, and one day I looked up and saw it.  Lorelei and her great friend Owen were greeting each other in the parking lot one morning before camp last week.

We had arrived and hopped out of our Suburban first; Owen's family was parking across the lot.  Owen bounded out of the car in his uber-enthusiastic way, sure to alarm his mother but delight Lorelei, who looked across the lot and screamed in her uber-enthusiastic way: "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!"  It was as if they hadn't seen each other in years, not a matter of hours.  The hugged and went off together to play and giggle, enjoying each other's company in the few minutes before the bus picked them up.

Lorelei and Owen, on their first day of camp!
They are pretty inseparable at school, though they do spend time apart.  They make up silly games at lunchtime, do art together, and have funny little conversations that trickle their way back to their moms.  Owen's hand is often around Lorelei's shoulder or waist in an oddly grown up way, guiding her this way or that, making sure she's comfortable and happy.

I think of them when I read Plant A Kiss because this is something that Lorelei and Owen would do: Plant a garden and help the flowers bloom.  Once they do, they'd go against the advice of the majority, which is what the little girl in the story does as well.  They wouldn't shelter it and keep it to themselves.  They'd share them--pluck them up and, magically, help more flowers bloom.  This book is simple, focusing on the basics.  Hmmm...sorta like the good sort of love.

These two little cuties exemplify love in such a pure, uncomplicated way--I only wish that people will pay attention as they continue to love each other help love bloom.

No comments:

Post a Comment