(3) K-3 Illustrated by Marianne Ferrer. In the school playground, a girl named Sam notices a dandelion bud. As she cares for it, the plant grows—becoming so tall it towers above the schoolyard. Other children help protect it, and soon it evolves into a “dreamy fluffball...that danced gently when the wind blew and made Sam dizzy with wishes.” When the adults get wind and try to destroy what they see as a giant weed, the children band together. The eye-pleasing illustrations’ limited palette in subdued hues effectively features pops of dandelion yellow.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz