Have You Ever Seen a Flower?

Have You Ever Seen a Flower?

Author	Shawn Harris
Illustrator	Harris
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre	Picture book, children’s book
Publisher	Chronicle Books
Publication date	May 4, 2021
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.