时间是一朵花

by Julie Morstad, 笛安 (Translator), 朱莉·莫斯塔德

时间不仅是嘀嗒作响的钟表，或日历上的数字，它还是等待萌发的种子，绽放的花朵，生长的树木，成长中的你。时间是一条直线，还是一个圆？它是迅捷而转瞬即逝的，还是缓慢又沉静的？又或者，它仅仅是一段记忆？时间还是什么？是时候去揭开它的秘密了。

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Poetry, Art, Nature, Mathematics, Kids

230 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2022

About the author

Julie Morstad is an award winning illustrator and artist living in Vancouver, B.C. with her husband and three kids. She received her BFA at Alberta College of Art and Design in 2004, and has since produced art for children’s books, CD and book covers, fabric, wallpaper and two animated music videos.

Reviews

[donna backshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time is a Flower is a creative and relatable exploration of what "time" means, to each person, to each happening, to everything. Opening a child's eyes to the possibilities the perception of time allows, we are introducing the basics of physics without weighing down the imagination with all that nerdy science talk. Not everyone can wrap their heads around Carlo Rovelli's theories of time, but a child can open their fresh mind to the wonder of all the things that time can and might be.

I recommend this book to all budding scientists out there, as well as those children whose eyes are ready to sparkle with even more ideas of what time can mean to them.

[Marissa Elera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything Morstad creates is unique and utterly immersive - pure magic. If I could live in her literary world, I would.

[Karina · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Time is a memory
captured long ago,
in a tiny part of a second.

Now,
of all the seconds
that ever happened, this one is forever.

And maybe it seems
like yesterday."

Such a beautifully written poetic book for the littles. The illustrations are simple but very nice to look at. Kids don't think much of time, ever, but we adults don't ever seem to have enough of it in a day and then here we are from 10 years old to 40, 50, and so on. Just a good little message: look around, notice things and enjoy the moment.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be perfectly honest, I wasn't sure if I was going to like this one. It sounded similar to Sara Cassidy's The Moon Is a Silver Pond and The Sun Is a Peach , both of which stretched metaphors to the point of nonsense. Time Is a Flower is an exploration of time, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that it actually made sense! The metaphors are lovely, and simple enough for a young child to understand. Caterpillars and butterflies, moving sunbeams, and photographs that capture a mere instant are just some examples.

The appealing illustrations give the reader plenty to look at while they ponder over the various metaphors. It's a book that makes you think... and I quite enjoyed it.

[Tuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful illustrations and text, follows Einsteins philosophy, thst the only thing holding us back from true understanding is ourselves.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's always time to read this wonderful picture book.

[allyson dunn-worthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

10/10 illustrations WOWEE so creative & cool


3/10 final line.

[Ana Calabresi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Time is one of my absolute favourite topics. I think about it often. Thanks, Julie Morstad, for this poetic take on time.

[Roxana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Time is a Flower takes a concept that's complicated and abstract even for adults - the nature of time - and renders it in a series of lovely, clever examples for young readers. The illustrations seem a little old-fashioned somehow, not in a bad way; they remind me of some of the books of my own childhood, in soft, inky brushstrokes. I love the way the text is placed on the page to highlight the illustrations, though the font choice feels jarringly off. That's a trivial issue, though, and doesn't substantially detract from what is a smart, beautiful picture book for young readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tundra Books for the advance review copy!

[Jeimy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Time Is a Flower is a beautifully trippy exploration of time that feels like it could have been penned by a philosopher from the 1970s on a creative high. Julie Morstad’s whimsical and profound reflections on what time means are both deep and enchanting, offering readers of all ages a fresh perspective on a concept that's often hard to pin down.

The illustrations are nothing short of stunning. One particular spread left me so captivated that I had to share it with all my coworkers, who were just as mesmerized. The combination of thoughtful prose and breathtaking visuals makes this book a standout.

If you're looking for a picture book that’s both a feast for the eyes and a meditation for the mind, Time Is a Flower is a must-read. It’s one of those rare gems that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page.

[deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is the only book I've ever read about time/the passage of time that hasn't immediately and deeply stressed me out. It's also just so caringly and beautifully illustrated; I adore the simple yet vibrant artwork on every page! It has a soothing cadence and I think it would make a nice bedtime story for young readers.

[cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julie Morstad's Time is a Flower is a picture book that contemplates all the different things that time can be. The volume is beautifully illustrated. Written with a focus on ease of understanding for younger children and yet poignant enough to be enjoyed by an older audience, this book is the perfect little story to wind down with after a long day.

[Pau Blackonion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meravellós i poétic.
Una explicació encisadora d'aquest misteri inasible que es el temps, els moments que pasen. Narrativa a partir de 5 anys per tota la vida.

el temps es una llavor,
que dorm
esperant en la foscor.
I despres...

El temps es una flor.

[c · Rating 4 out of 5]

beautiful illustrations.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous illustrations!

[Anni Welborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A genuinely sweet, gentle book exploring the nebulous idea of time and time passing. I liked the gentle illustrations and sparse words on each page. They left lots of room for discussion with a child about the pictures and concepts. I don't have littles in my life anymore (time passing and all), but if I did, I would definitely get this for them. I gratefully received this free ebook ARC from the publisher and author in exchange for my unbiased review.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Karrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruminations on time and all the different ways it’s perceived, measured and enjoyed. Illustrations aren’t my taste but do the job well. Thoughtful and great discussion starter.

[Dest · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful picture book. I especially loved the spread showing faces changing over time. "Time is a face whose lines and shapes change little by little, year by year."

I like this so much I'm going to read all of Morstad's other books.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This would be a delightful "read-aloud" to persons of all ages! Please share it with someone you love.

[Raven Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gorgeous, artistic illustrations capture the spirit of what the story wants to present. However, the theme's presentation is a little modern, flowery, even "spiritually" a bit "too much" for my personal tastes. It is the art (check out the flower petals falling off or the spiderweb) that makes this book fascinating.

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mind-bending meditation on the relativity of time, with illustrations that will change your life. Why are picture books (ostensibly aimed at 4-7 year old children) so much more beautiful, profound and startling than the books aimed at every other age group?

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A playful, winsome meditation on the nature of time.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This artful and interpretive creation by a renowned Canadian author/illustrator merits attention and sharing. With an opening firmly anchored in conventional time-telling (tick-tocks, numbers/words, a cuckoo clock), a single page turn sweeps readers into a wide range of perspectives, metaphors, art styles, and color choices. As a seed measures time by blooming, then withering, as a butterfly reflects time passed within a chrysalis, and as a boy-and-tree beginning life at the same time will measure their height and growth with dramatically different results over time, young readers (and their adult readers) are led through example after example of ways that the natural world is a time keeper around us on a daily (and lifetime) basis. Some are familiar (day-to-night, snapshots capturing a single moment in ever-changing lives) while others present explorable and thought-provoking moments.
My favorite (and I am always reluctant to name favorites, especially among these powerful and delightful spreads) offers this text:

"Time is a face whose lines and shapes change little by little, year by year."

With line sketches and shading on a pale background, individual faces are arrayed across a double spread, four-by-four per page, with individuals connected to their aging selves with simple arrows, some aging from infant to elder, from girl-child to young woman, etc. Some proceed through three phases, others through only a single step, and in every direction. With simple indicators of a global range of identities, this universal and gradual process is preceded by a spread on which stacks of snapshots are drawn. This felt so inviting, prompting a dive into personal/family photos to view grandparents (or selves!) as younger, to imagine parents (and selves!) ten or fifty years ahead.
In this and so many ways I found this to be both a stimulating and soothing exploration of the passing of time in nature, in lives, and in the pages of a truly special book.

[Cecilia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book to teach the concept of time. It's also an excellent read. It uses language and metaphor so beautifully and skillfully. Concepts are hard to teach, and this book makes thinking about the concept of time a joy. I think it would also make learning about the concept of time a lot easier, because it doesn't use one metaphor and abuse it--this book creates several comparisons and describes it in several very concrete ways. The illustrations, while not usually my cup of tea stylistically speaking, actually work really well for this particular book.

This would make a good story time book with a follow up activity. You could very easily ask kids to think up other metaphors and descriptions of time. You could have them illustrate their own pages as a group and then put all the pages together in their own follow up book. It would be such a treasure for the person leading the group, and such a fun activity for the kids.

Books this well designed for story time can be hard to find!

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this may be my 12th or 13th picture book that I have experienced from Julie Morstad. Maybe my two faves are When I Was Small and When You Were Small, but I am generally a fan of her work. Time is a Flower is kind of an abstract book in that it is about time, a difficult concept, which Morstad chooses to define in poetic terms and a variety of splashy colorful pages with lots of movement.

Time is the tick tick tock
of the
clock
and
numbers and words
on a calendar.

But what else is time?

A seed. . . a flower . . . a tree. . . pebble, sunset, your hair, song, a story and so on. So it's a meditation on time for kids and adults with kids,

Time is a web
Hard to see
made slowly
delicately
by the careful and elegant spider.

Time is a memory
captured long ago
in a tiny part of a second.

Is time a line?
Or maybe a circle?
I don't know but it's time for dinner.

[Jane S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this picture book. Time can be a very difficult concept for children to understand, and this illustrates the passing of time beautifully using topics and events that children are familiar with. It also uses beautiful metaphors that a child can relate to. As a 2nd grade teacher, I used this book along with a lesson on metaphors and students were deeply engaged. This is a book for all ages, frankly, and would be a welcome addition to any classroom or children's library. It would be best used for elementary aged students.

I purchased a hard cover copy of this book on Amazon. I found this book on the Database for Award Winning Children's Literature. It won the 2022 Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award (Canada) and was nominated for the 2022 Governor General's Literary Award for Young People.

[Jes Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous colored pencil drawings with bright bursts of color illustrate the deep and hard to grasp concept of time.

Diversity abounds in this universal telling of time. How time is not only the numbers on a clock but the space between past and present and future. The fullness of waiting and perspective. The flow of the text and pictures move together to create a dance all working to illustrate the delicateness of aging, growing, and being.

A great addition to concept collections and readers who enjoy the depth of Kathryn Otoshi's picture books on numbers will find similarities in the text.

Thank you to Tundra Books for an advanced reader copy on NetGalley.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, sometimes I couldn't get inside the phrases!
"Time is a flower" -- I want to get this, and I have to work hard to do it. I almost wish it had just said "Time happens in a flower." I would have enjoyed the idea just as much. And, "It takes time to build a web" would have been just as rewarding as "Time is a web." I can hear myself fighting the metaphor! -- even though I yearn for it to work. I LOVED the spread on faces, and the art in general, its gorgeous and careful use of color and line.

I look forward to sharing this to young readers and writers and asking: What takes a lot of time? What takes a little?

[Cheriee Weichel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been nominated for a Governor General Award this year (2022). Once you read it you will understand why.
Honestly, I wasn't sure I would like it. But the author is Canadian, and it has that nomination. I ended up completely enthralled. Time is a tricky idea. Julie Morstad provides multiple metaphors and concrete examples of what time feels and looks like.
As I was reading I wished it had been around when primary teachers would come to see me looking for a book on this very topic. I can envision using it with different ages as a springboard to writing our own poems and books. I hope to get the chance to use it with students.