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Bloom
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Doreen Cronin and Caldecott Medal–winning illustrator David Small comes a picture book about how an extraordinary “ordinary” girl can save a kingdom with the help of a mud fairy.A glass kingdom is no place for a Mud Fairy. Bloom and her mud fairy magic might be able to turn weeds into flowers and spin sand into glass, but the people of the kingdom ceaselessly complain about the trails of dirt and puddles of mud that seem to follow her every step, and finally they cast her out. But when the glass castle begins to crack, then cracks some more, the King and Queen in a panic search for the long-banished fairy, but they can’t find Bloom anywhere. Desperate to save their home, they send their meekest, most ordinary subject, a girl named Genevievewhose sole task until now has been to polish the Queen’s crystal sugar spoon—to coax any worthy fairy to come and save the kingdom. Genevieve finds Bloom exactly where the king and queen failed to see her, and Bloom knows exactly how to save the kingdom. But it will take the two girls working together, along with a mighty dollop of self-confidence—and some very messy hands—to accomplish the extraordinary.
40 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2016
1 person is currently reading
529 people want to read
About the author
Doreen Cronin
122 books444 followersDoreen Cronin (born 1966) is an American writer of children's books, including Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type, a very well-received picture book illustrated by Betsy Lewin.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 244 reviews
March 1, 2016
No one is going to read this review because it's too long. But it's late, and this is important to me, so I don't care.
This is a good feminist picture book. I've always been really drawn to engaging stories that carry empowering messages for girls. I want girls to hear as early as possible that we value them for their intelligence, their strength, their courage, and all the other things that can get buried in a barrage of less positive messages.
But here's the thing: feminism isn't just for girls. I am raising a boy who (based on early indications) will one day be a man who is a strong feminist. I see a lot of the message that girls are extraordinary and can do anything. I would love to see those same stories reach out a little to boys. I want my son to hear feminist stories (that aren't preachy or overly didactic), and hear all of the positive messages they carry for our daughters, without being excluded from the narrative. I want him to know that girls can do anything. And I want him to know that he can, too.
Would it take anything away from this story if, instead of "There's no such thing as an ordinary girl", Bloom told Genevieve that there's no such thing as an ordinary kid? Or an ordinary person? It's clear that she's a girl... But would it diminish the feminist message to have a girl stand in for everyone? I think it might enhance it, in fact. I know it meant a lot to my son when I told him he should include himself in the story's message. (It's always good for me to be reminded how strongly he responds to stories that I worry might be a little too heavy-handed.)
I hear from too many customers at our store who assume that boys won't read a book about girls, and while I think they're generally underestimating the boys in their lives, I think that we could also broaden our sense of who the audience is for feminist books. I think this would be a great thing for girls AND for boys.
This is a good feminist picture book. I've always been really drawn to engaging stories that carry empowering messages for girls. I want girls to hear as early as possible that we value them for their intelligence, their strength, their courage, and all the other things that can get buried in a barrage of less positive messages.
But here's the thing: feminism isn't just for girls. I am raising a boy who (based on early indications) will one day be a man who is a strong feminist. I see a lot of the message that girls are extraordinary and can do anything. I would love to see those same stories reach out a little to boys. I want my son to hear feminist stories (that aren't preachy or overly didactic), and hear all of the positive messages they carry for our daughters, without being excluded from the narrative. I want him to know that girls can do anything. And I want him to know that he can, too.
Would it take anything away from this story if, instead of "There's no such thing as an ordinary girl", Bloom told Genevieve that there's no such thing as an ordinary kid? Or an ordinary person? It's clear that she's a girl... But would it diminish the feminist message to have a girl stand in for everyone? I think it might enhance it, in fact. I know it meant a lot to my son when I told him he should include himself in the story's message. (It's always good for me to be reminded how strongly he responds to stories that I worry might be a little too heavy-handed.)
I hear from too many customers at our store who assume that boys won't read a book about girls, and while I think they're generally underestimating the boys in their lives, I think that we could also broaden our sense of who the audience is for feminist books. I think this would be a great thing for girls AND for boys.
February 22, 2016
What a load of crap. The Kool-Aid leaves a nasty aftertaste. If this book is trying to tell us to stop trying to be extraordinary and that the new world will belong to the ordinary, I guess it's an average, mediocre, run-of-the-mill example of how that works. I would rather see our children (both sons and daughters) strive to go beyond that. In a false dichotomy, we are being asked to give up a beautiful glass kingdom (revolutionary socialists will note the "It was held together by duct tape, glue, and peasants." line)for one that apparently consists of sturdy houses made of mud bricks. In this magical world, we can't possibly have things turn out better, they just have to be serviceable. I don't see any extolling of virtue, any reward for goodness, it's just "You go, girl! Get your hands dirty and you'll change the world! Don't let the Man keep you down!" Cue Helen Reddy.
Leaving its eye-rolling "Message" aside, this book reads like a third-grader's attempt at writing a paint-by-numbers fairy tale. The "third-time's-a-charm" idea is delivered in such a dull manner. Someone (author, editors) needs to read some real fairy tales to understand why they have endured. This is just so flat.
Design is ugly too - the different typefaces, weights, and font sizes again remind me of what happens when third-graders get hold of desktop publishing software. Where is the art? Where is the beauty? Yup, exactly.
I will look elsewhere for inspiring tales of extraordinary girls.
Leaving its eye-rolling "Message" aside, this book reads like a third-grader's attempt at writing a paint-by-numbers fairy tale. The "third-time's-a-charm" idea is delivered in such a dull manner. Someone (author, editors) needs to read some real fairy tales to understand why they have endured. This is just so flat.
Design is ugly too - the different typefaces, weights, and font sizes again remind me of what happens when third-graders get hold of desktop publishing software. Where is the art? Where is the beauty? Yup, exactly.
I will look elsewhere for inspiring tales of extraordinary girls.
March 24, 2016
Utterly charming book new fairy tale about a kingdom made of glass, and the only fairy who can help them . . . the one fairy they want the least, since she is always loud, muddy, and wears huge boots! The pairing of Doreen Cronin's delightful words with David Small's beautiful art.
November 17, 2021
Surprisingly good. I have a son, so the feminist message arguably wasn't meant for me. But hey, feminism can be for boys, and it's important that he too learn that women can be engineers.
The "Bloom" fairy has very useful, but unladylike, magic. A glass kingdom falls into disrepair, and the king and queen want this industrious fairy to come back from the forest and help their glass kingdom out. The story follows roughly the same narrative flow as a fairy tale. Eventually, progress is made when the king and queen send an "ordinary" girl to parlay with the fairy.
It's cute and smart and has a good message. It reminds me a bit of "The Mud Fairy" by Amy Young.
The "Bloom" fairy has very useful, but unladylike, magic. A glass kingdom falls into disrepair, and the king and queen want this industrious fairy to come back from the forest and help their glass kingdom out. The story follows roughly the same narrative flow as a fairy tale. Eventually, progress is made when the king and queen send an "ordinary" girl to parlay with the fairy.
It's cute and smart and has a good message. It reminds me a bit of "The Mud Fairy" by Amy Young.
February 19, 2017
Well I love it. And my inner child is a girl who was raised to be both strong and ladylike. I see the negative reviewers are mostly guys... maybe they just don't get it. The thing is, the author is right: there is no such thing as an ordinary girl. What these two did was provide stronger, yet still attractive, housing for the court, free the peasants, and teach them all some lessons in (un)common sense. I also found the art very appealing.
(This is my second read; it held up just fine to a reread... in fact, if I happen to encounter a copy at a thrift store or such I will buy it to keep.)
(This is my second read; it held up just fine to a reread... in fact, if I happen to encounter a copy at a thrift store or such I will buy it to keep.)
December 18, 2015
A fairy tale with a little bit of dirt, a little bit of wisdom and a big dose of girl power. Two talents have teamed up here to deliver a book that will be adored by young girls who are transitioning from the short form picture book to the longer form picture book.
Mash-up comp: Princess Hyacinth meets Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots meets Cinderella
Mash-up comp: Princess Hyacinth meets Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots meets Cinderella
February 7, 2016
"...there is no such thing as an ordinary girl."
First, this book is about a fairy. Then it becomes about an ordinary girl from a kingdom in disrepair. A girl who listens, who's curious, who's open to trying new things. The fairy doesn't save the kingdom. She teaches the ordinary girl how to do it. With mud.
First, this book is about a fairy. Then it becomes about an ordinary girl from a kingdom in disrepair. A girl who listens, who's curious, who's open to trying new things. The fairy doesn't save the kingdom. She teaches the ordinary girl how to do it. With mud.
March 7, 2016
Love David Small's illustrations.
June 11, 2018
“Tell them there is no such thing as an ordinary girl.” A fairy tale where practicality and hard work are what save the kingdom. “I am here!” she announces, and then she rebuilds the world.
April 22, 2018
Genre: Fantasy
Grade Level: Kindergarten- 3rd
This book is a classic story about a kingdom in peril that needs a hero to save the day but it includes a wonderful twist. The main character Bloom, a tiny fairy, is incredibly helpful to the kingdom. She spins sand into glass, turn weeds into blossoms and grow a trickle of rainwater into a racing river. The people of the kingdom became less interested in the great work she was doing and more concerned about the heavy steps she took, the tiny cracks she made and the muddy trail she left. Because of all the mean comments she was receiving, she left quietly to live in the forest. The kingdom was beyond happy until they realized years later that all of her work was crucial for the kingdom to be in one piece. A couple people were sent into the forest to invite the fairy back into the kingdom but there was only one successful person, an ordinary girl. Bloom sent the girl back to tell the kingdom, “There is no such thing as an ordinary girl.”
This is a great book to use in a classroom. I think this would be great for a classroom discussion with younger students. One way to incorporate it would be to use it as a read aloud and show kids that we all have something that is extraordinary about us that others might think is just ordinary. This also leads into another way the book can be used in class. I would use this as a writing activity for older students. They would be able to write about something extraordinary about themselves and present it to the class.
This is a Wow Book for me because I find it amazing that Bloom taught Genevieve how to make bricks to build the castle and now Genevieve is going back into the kingdom to share her magic. Bloom is so kind to share her magic with Genevieve and now she tells her that she is extraordinary.
Grade Level: Kindergarten- 3rd
This book is a classic story about a kingdom in peril that needs a hero to save the day but it includes a wonderful twist. The main character Bloom, a tiny fairy, is incredibly helpful to the kingdom. She spins sand into glass, turn weeds into blossoms and grow a trickle of rainwater into a racing river. The people of the kingdom became less interested in the great work she was doing and more concerned about the heavy steps she took, the tiny cracks she made and the muddy trail she left. Because of all the mean comments she was receiving, she left quietly to live in the forest. The kingdom was beyond happy until they realized years later that all of her work was crucial for the kingdom to be in one piece. A couple people were sent into the forest to invite the fairy back into the kingdom but there was only one successful person, an ordinary girl. Bloom sent the girl back to tell the kingdom, “There is no such thing as an ordinary girl.”
This is a great book to use in a classroom. I think this would be great for a classroom discussion with younger students. One way to incorporate it would be to use it as a read aloud and show kids that we all have something that is extraordinary about us that others might think is just ordinary. This also leads into another way the book can be used in class. I would use this as a writing activity for older students. They would be able to write about something extraordinary about themselves and present it to the class.
This is a Wow Book for me because I find it amazing that Bloom taught Genevieve how to make bricks to build the castle and now Genevieve is going back into the kingdom to share her magic. Bloom is so kind to share her magic with Genevieve and now she tells her that she is extraordinary.
February 19, 2020
This one got to my emotions. I like the message. I like the illustrations. Even Alena was willing to put up with more words than usual.
Spoilers below:
The king and the queen aren't willing to listen to messy, muddy Bloom. They are offended by the simple thing that could save the kingdom, so they send an "ordinary girl," Genevieve. She is willing and stays to find out how a bucket of mud can be magic.
Here's where it got me:
Genevieve is afraid the king and queen won't listen to her when she returns with the solution.
"'Tell them there is no such thing as an ordinary girl,' said Bloom," reassuring Genevieve.
The ending pages are beautiful. It says, "Then an ordinary girl rebuilt a kingdom."
This shows the power of using small and simple things to build great things.
Spoilers below:
The king and the queen aren't willing to listen to messy, muddy Bloom. They are offended by the simple thing that could save the kingdom, so they send an "ordinary girl," Genevieve. She is willing and stays to find out how a bucket of mud can be magic.
Here's where it got me:
Genevieve is afraid the king and queen won't listen to her when she returns with the solution.
"'Tell them there is no such thing as an ordinary girl,' said Bloom," reassuring Genevieve.
The ending pages are beautiful. It says, "Then an ordinary girl rebuilt a kingdom."
This shows the power of using small and simple things to build great things.
March 11, 2018
out of this collection of diversity books, this one was not one of my favorite books. i thought the plot line was good but i did not think it was fair to the fairy to be left out of things in the kingdom because she was messy, i think that could have a negative connotation to a reader who can relate to the messy fairy and i think that the reader would not like this story. I also thought that while it was great that the fairy taught the other girl to save the kingdom, but i thought it was interesting to have that kind of plot line in the book just because it is not something that usually happens in the story they usually work together or get angry when asked to help.
March 30, 2020
Testing out Tumblebooks for a work project - this was really cute and has big The Frog Princess vibes!
Read
June 3, 2023A mud fairy! A soft girl child! Gaining courage! Life lessons! This book is so cute, and I love it a lot.
March 18, 2018
I think every young girl should own this book. I wish I had when I was little, instead of reading it for the first time right now. It is perfect for girls who love princesses and castles. This book supports play, inside and outside. As we know today, play is needed for every child to learn. It shows the children that something can be done if it is needed and if they put their mind to it.
March 29, 2016
I wanted to compose a quick review for this new David Small illustrated book as it really stuck out for me in more ways than one. The goodreads summary explains this contemporary fairytale pretty well. Cronin has gifted us with a cozy narrative about the magic of humility, self-reliance, and the wondrous things that can happen when we get our hands dirty. Many others have noted the loveable line, "there is no such thing as an ordinary girl." In addition to being a nicely phrased feminist message, I really read a broader sentiment there about how we all can be extraordinary if we keep an open mind and endure. Good stuff. It goes without saying that Small's illustrations are pitch perfect, with just the right amounts of detail and character carried throughout in his expressive linework.
So why three stars? Why not four? The design of this book is simply atrocious. It is painfully awful. The occasions in which it is appropriate to use the font 'Hobo' are few and far in between. As readers we are not only forced to read Hobo hideously featured beside a classical serif font, but also to see it scattered and sprinkled in a way it was never designed to do. In addition to Hobo, we get fancy blackletter and ornate script dropcaps that come and go without rhyme or reason. It might be these are choices that are supposed to represent the voices or characters present, but visually it does not work. As if that was not enough, we are also treated to arbitrary changes in font size, sometimes mid-sentence. It might actually be one of the worst designed picture books I have ever seen in my life. AND THIS IS FOR A BEST-SELLING AUTHOR AND A CALDECOTT WINNING ILLUSTRATOR. It is an absolute crime for their work to be so sullied and ill-accompanied. The fact that people who probably do not think about design at all comment on the confusing quality of the visually schizophrenic text says it all. If I ever discover the person who is responsible for this, I will find them so they can watch me face-palm in their general direction.
So why three stars? Why not four? The design of this book is simply atrocious. It is painfully awful. The occasions in which it is appropriate to use the font 'Hobo' are few and far in between. As readers we are not only forced to read Hobo hideously featured beside a classical serif font, but also to see it scattered and sprinkled in a way it was never designed to do. In addition to Hobo, we get fancy blackletter and ornate script dropcaps that come and go without rhyme or reason. It might be these are choices that are supposed to represent the voices or characters present, but visually it does not work. As if that was not enough, we are also treated to arbitrary changes in font size, sometimes mid-sentence. It might actually be one of the worst designed picture books I have ever seen in my life. AND THIS IS FOR A BEST-SELLING AUTHOR AND A CALDECOTT WINNING ILLUSTRATOR. It is an absolute crime for their work to be so sullied and ill-accompanied. The fact that people who probably do not think about design at all comment on the confusing quality of the visually schizophrenic text says it all. If I ever discover the person who is responsible for this, I will find them so they can watch me face-palm in their general direction.
September 19, 2016
Deligjtful. Small's illustrations never disappoint. A tad abrupt ending. A 3.5
February 22, 2020
This is a clever story about a kingdom that was made of glass and relayed on a fairy to do all their work. When the court shunned the fairy, they were not able to function without her help and the glass kingdom started to crack and crumble. The fairy taught the most unlikely of persons how to set good foundations for a kingdom through the value of hard work and self worth because no one is ordinary or too little to be of importance.
March 1, 2016
Imaginative and fanciful about a fairy who leaves a kingdom after feeling unwanted. Bloom has “boots caked with mud. There was dirt between her teeth. Beetles rested in her wings.” It isn’t long before the kingdom begins falling apart, and the king and queen decide to send for Bloom, realizing she can help. They don’t understand Bloom’s approach to life, and dismiss her as disrespectful. Only until a young girl is sent do sparks fly and things get interesting. In my first reading with my six year old granddaughter, much explaining was needed. The message of the book, that each person is unique and to be loved, didn’t connect. But, she asked to read it again, and we had more conversation, and examined David Small’s beautiful and quirky illustrations more closely. Reading deeply does take time and support. I enjoyed the book, would suggest it as a read aloud with lots of questions and talk.
September 12, 2015
GIRL POWER to the max! David Small crafts incredible illustrations to accompany Cronin's empowering text. Small's interpretation of the glass city is rendered in insubstantial blue watercolors, which shows where the true fragility lies, not, as the royal court states, with Bloom, the muddy fairy that protects the kingdom with her magic until their ingratitude drives her away to live in the woods by herself. The glass kingdom, however, is falling apart, and it takes a small "ordinary" girl to do what the king and queen have failed: the extraordinary.
A modern-day fairy tale that celebrates the power of getting your hands dirty.
A modern-day fairy tale that celebrates the power of getting your hands dirty.
August 12, 2016
A longer picture book title, this follows many traditional fairy tale themes. Third time's the charm, outcast fairies, and saving the kingdom. I found the illustrations delightful, more so in the earthy world of the fairy where the sketchy style and rich colors really shone. The glass castle and the King and Queen were largely colorless and depressing.
The strongest theme here is that there is no such thing as ordinary. Even the smallest person, even the dirtiest fairy can contribute a solid foundation to a crumbling kingdom. I never got the sense that the author was disparaging what was beautiful, just celebrating the hard work necessary to make things stable.
The strongest theme here is that there is no such thing as ordinary. Even the smallest person, even the dirtiest fairy can contribute a solid foundation to a crumbling kingdom. I never got the sense that the author was disparaging what was beautiful, just celebrating the hard work necessary to make things stable.
April 4, 2016
A cute, quick story of a messy, muddy garden fairy with the power to create beautiful things. Fairy tales are always great, but I really enjoyed the twist of magic coming from mud and mess rather than sparkles and tiaras. Taking this tomboy idea further, the kingdom sends several people into the forest to find the secret of Bloom, the mud fairy's, magic, and only a young girl has the patience and curiosity to explore the fairy's messy magic. She learns to let loose, have fun being messy, and then how to make something all of her own! In the end, rather than watching magic save the day, Cronin shows that you can hold your own and maybe even save a kingdom!
October 11, 2022
I originally rated this four stars, but I don't remember why I liked it. The book is so unnecessarily wordy that I found myself skimming, and I don't like how the font sizes vary wildly for different words. The story itself is fine, but it drags on too long, and it didn't do anything for me this time around. I almost wonder if the reason why I rated it so high to begin with is just because I was pleasantly surprised that there was no male-bashing in a book about female empowerment, but that is not a sufficient reason to give a book four stars.
March 15, 2016
Okay, so if you are a girl, or have a girl child, you owe it to yourself to go get a copy of "Bloom" by Doreen Cronin and David Small. It's about a mud fairy and an ordinary girl who have to save the kingdom and it's wonderful and beautiful and even my son thought it was awesome. It's the heir to Paperbag Princess. You all really should get it.
I may have gotten a little teary at the end.
Maybe.
I also put it on my Christmas list so I can have my own copy.
I may have gotten a little teary at the end.
Maybe.
I also put it on my Christmas list so I can have my own copy.
July 20, 2016
I loved that the "ordinary" girl, through a little bit of bravery, some perseverance, and a lot of hard work, is the one who saves the kingdom. The kingdom might not look exactly the same as it did, but it is sturdy and livable, unlike it was previously. I love this message because there are so many kids who won't be the Olympic athlete, the brain surgeon, or POTUS. These kids need to know that they to can achieve a great life!
February 9, 2016
Let me start out with the positive: I ADORE David Small's style of illustrations.
Now on to everything else: This story kept building and building and building ... and then went NOWHERE at the end. What a gyp!
So what you were trying to do through a fairy tale medium is prove that all girls are exceptional and that no one is ordinary?
FAIL. EPIC FAIL.
Now on to everything else: This story kept building and building and building ... and then went NOWHERE at the end. What a gyp!
So what you were trying to do through a fairy tale medium is prove that all girls are exceptional and that no one is ordinary?
FAIL. EPIC FAIL.
March 31, 2016
Bloom is a wonderful picture book that follows a similar formula of old fairytales. One must look past the outside facade to see the extraordinary things that people are capable of doing, no matter how small, ordinary, or quiet that person is.
June 18, 2018
This book is muddy brilliant. But it’s hard to explain why without giving the story away. Lets just say its about an ordinary girl learning she is extraordinary. All from a little mud and fairy dust.
February 5, 2016
Wonderful picture book about how a mud fairy and a girl servant save a kingdom. Bloom demonstrates how girls can accomplish great things--and need to get their hands dirty to do so. Great book!
March 24, 2016
"There is no such thing as an ordinary girl." <3
Displaying 1 - 30 of 244 reviews