Have You Ever Seen a Flower?

Have You Ever Seen a Flower?

Author	Shawn Harris
Illustrator	Harris
Language	English
Genre	Picture book, children’s book
Publisher	Chronicle Books
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Publication place	United States
Pages	48
Awards	Caldecott Honor
ISBN	978-1-4521-8270-4

Have You Ever Seen a Flower? is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Shawn Harris. It tells the story of a kid who leaves the big city to visit a meadow, where they are challenged to use all their five senses to explore nature. The book was published by Chronicle Books on May 4, 2021, and was the recipient of a Caldecott Honor.

Reception

Kirkus Reviews called the work of Shawn Harris "[a] visual feast teeming with life," and highlighted the author's art style, which they say "evoke Oaxacan design." ^[1] Publishers Weekly gave the book a starred review and said "[w]ith assurance and passion in his solo debut, Harris [...] connects readers to the stirrings of life in all its forms." ^[2]

Writing for The Horn Book , Megan Dowd Lambert praised Harris' illustrations as vibrant and rich, and noted they have a "naive style," which, combined with "playfully inquisitive text," is used to "imply a child as ostensible artist." Lambert also compares the style of the writing to those found in books by Margaret Wise Brown and Ruth Krauss. ^[3]

Have You Ever Seen a Flower? was the recipient of a Caldecott Honor in 2022. ^[4]

References

1. "HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A FLOWER?". Kirkus Reviews . Retrieved February 3, 2022.
2. "Children's Book Review: Have You Ever Seen a Flower? by Shawn Harris". Publishers Weekly . Retrieved February 3, 2022.
3. Lambert, Megan Dowd. "Review of Have You Ever Seen a Flower? by Shawn Harris". The Horn Book . Retrieved February 3, 2022.
4. Roback, Diane; Kantor, Emma (January 24, 2022). "Barba Higuera, Chin, Boulley Win Newbery, Caldecott, Printz Awards". Publishers Weekly . Retrieved February 3, 2022.