National Network for Equitable Library Service

"We bloom because we picked each other." On page after page of We Bloom: A Garden of Friendship, Dana Simson's philosophy rings charmingly true and appealing. That's what makes this collection of original sayings, illustrated in the author's unique style, such a wonderful gift for that special friend who means so much. Dana Simson grew up with pen in hand and was inspired, as a child, by the loss of everything in a flood. Each day is a gift, she told herself then, and that concept illuminates both her art and the school workshops she conducts for students and teachers of all ages. In We Bloom, Dana pulls together some of her most whimsical, fantastical and illuminating illustrations and combines them with what she's learned about friendship over the years. It's an endearing blend of warmth and wonder that's sure to be a hit in the gift book market. Or as Dana herself says it, "Wonderful magic greets us in the tiny miracles that are life."