Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

The Boy with Flowers in His Hair

Rate this book
Jarvis offers a moving tale of friendship, kindness, and acceptance, softly touching on the subjects of illness or hardship in a way that young children can understand.

Everyone likes David, the boy with flowers in his hair. He’s sweet and gentle, just like his colorful petals. David and his best friend have a great time together, finding the good puddles, making up songs, and running away from the bees. But one day David comes to school wearing a hat, and he is quiet. When he takes off the hat, his bright petals flutter down like butterflies. Now, where his flowers were looks twiggy and prickly, causing the other children to stay away. But David’s best friend has an idea—a way to help David get his color back, wielding paintbrushes and plenty of love. Sensitively told and simply illustrated, Jarvis’s story invites even the youngest children to talk about difficult subjects in an age-appropriate way—and feel inspired to support others when they face trying times.

32 pages, Hardcover

First published April 26, 2022

2 people are currently reading
384 people want to read

About the author

Jarvis

175 books72 followers
Jarvis is an illustrator and animator who has worked as both a record jacket designer and an animation director. He lives in Manchester, England.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
377 (50%)
4 stars
256 (34%)
3 stars
99 (13%)
2 stars
12 (1%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
Profile Image for Hilary .
2,294 reviews491 followers
April 29, 2022
David doesn't have hair, he has flowers growing there instead. One day when his friend is watering his head he notices some flowers are falling off. Soon David's flowers all fall off and he doesn't feel like himself anymore. His best friend comes up with the idea of making paper flowers which makes David feel more like himself until one day his flowers come back.

A nice story about friendship and differences with some lovely illustrations
Profile Image for Bookread2day.
2,575 reviews63 followers
April 20, 2022
I love this hardback book that’s bright and jolly with lots of fabulous colourful illustrations, for children.

When David with the flowers in his hair suddenly go he is twiggy, spiky and brittle, until his best friend comes up with a brilliant idea to give David back flowers in his hair.

I love the big bold writing that would be very easy for young children to read.

This book tops my list for children’s recommendation to read this book, as I know all children will absolutely adore this hardback.

My review is on my website www.bookread2day.wordpress..com
3,117 reviews11 followers
March 29, 2022
David is a young boy who has flowers in his hair. The children at his school all love him, especially his best friend.

One day David comes to school with a hat on. All of his flowers have fallen off. He is sad and some of the children stay away from him, but not his best friend who has a wonderful idea on how to help him be bright and colourful again.

Author Jarvis really has a way with words and his imagination stops you in your tracks and makes you think.

The book may take more than one read to fully let the words sink in. The first time I read it I just thought what a strange story. Then I kept on replaying it in my head and eventually re-read it and realised it wasn’t so much about the flowers but about the friendship the two best friends had and how caring, selfless, and thoughtful David’s best friend truly is.

This is a beautiful story that has been illustrated perfectly to emphasise the plot and show the two young carefree happy boys in their full glory.

The Boy with Flowers in his hair is a remarkable book. It is heart-warming, poignant, and shows children what true friendship really is.
Profile Image for Marcella.
1,353 reviews84 followers
September 11, 2022
"Alhoewel dit prentenboek de lijn tussen realiteit en magie bewandelt door het hoofdpersonage bloemen als haar te geven, vertelt Jarvis een universeel verhaal over wat ons als mensen verbindt.

De jongen met bloemen in zijn haar is een ongelooflijk lief prentenboek over hoe mensen elkaar letterlijk en figuurlijk kunnen laten (op)bloeien door vriendschap, acceptatie en een oog voor elkaar."

Lees mijn volledige blog op www.booksandmacchiatos.com
446 reviews13 followers
March 11, 2024
A lovely children's book about friendships and differences with gorgeous illustrations. Heartwarming and poignant.
Profile Image for Juan Naranjo.
Author 24 books5,006 followers
Read
October 1, 2023
Me ha parecido una historia sencilla y preciosa, con una delicadeza alucinante. El dibujo es una belleza y me encanta que mezcle elementos reales y de fantasía sin tener que explicar nada demasiado.
Profile Image for Vera Godley.
2,014 reviews59 followers
September 22, 2022
This is a gentle, teaching book that encourages compassion and understanding for someone who is going through a difficult time. It is actually helpful to adults to understand how to explain the "seasons of life" to a child and how they can be helpful and understanding.

Similar to an allegory, the flowers in the boy's hair depict the joyful, happy season of life. During such a season there is loveliness and outgoing sharing of this happy time.

When the flowers disappear, spiky stems remain and they are not pretty. They are prickly and fearful to be around. And the other children shy away from this unloveliness.

And then..... another child shows understanding, caring, and coping mechanisms.

An excellent book!

I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.
Profile Image for Els.
1,438 reviews111 followers
July 29, 2022
De jongen met bloemen in zijn haar. Tekst en tekeningen: Jarvis.

Wat een ongelooflijk mooi prentenboek! De cover is stralend, vrolijk, kleurrijk; hartveroverend mooi. De bloemen zijn niet enkel mooi om naar te kijken maar je kan ze ook voelen; wow!

De jongen met bloemen in zijn haar is prachtig qua verhaal, tekeningen en boodschap. Het is een ode aan vriendschap, creativiteit en inclusiviteit.

Het is het verhaal van een jongetje wiens beste vriend David bloemen in zijn haar heeft, waar soms zelfs vogels in wonen, iedereen is dol op hem. Tot hij op een dag op school verschijnt zonder de bloemen… Zijn beste vriendje zoekt een oplossing en komt met een creatieve remedie. Ontroerend mooi én lief.

Jarvis schreef een klein verhaaltje op een grootse manier. De schitterende, intieme, indrukwekkende tekeningen maken dit boek helemaal tot een pareltje dat je hart verovert en een glimlach op je gezicht tovert.

Aanrader. Koop 2 exemplaren: eentje om te lezen en eentje om aan de muur te hangen want de cover is om verliefd op te worden!
Profile Image for Cam.
1,024 reviews28 followers
October 3, 2023
(4) Un album sur la maladie que j'apprécie tout particulièrement. C'est très simple mais en même temps particulièrement éloquent. Et j'aime beaucoup toute cette symbolique autour des fleurs.
Profile Image for Laura Harrison.
1,167 reviews136 followers
May 7, 2022
One of the sweetest, most beautiful picture books of 2023. My new favorite Jarvis creation. The cover is embossed, vivid colors and images throughout. A darling story about friendship and inclusion. I love it!
Profile Image for νίκη κωνσταντίνου-σγουρού.
224 reviews58 followers
February 20, 2023
«νιώθω πως το βιβλίο είναι μια αφορμή για συζήτηση γύρω από το πώς φροντίζουμε, την ανάγκη που νιώθουμε να φροντίσουμε και την αδυναμία μας όταν δεν μπορούμε να το κάνουμε. μια αφορμή να συζητήσουμε τι μπορούμε να κάνουμε τελικά και πώς να φροντίσουμε εμάς τους ίδιους.»

🌼🌷🌻🌸🌱

*περισσότερα εδώ: https://dimartblog.com/2023/02/14/the...
Profile Image for Sedighe Vazehi.
176 reviews40 followers
April 18, 2024
من ترجمه فارسیش رو خوندم که اینجا نبود تا انتخاب کنم.
کتاب قشنگی بود درباره دوستی، خلاقیت، همکاری و متفاوت بودن.
Profile Image for Ivan.
804 reviews15 followers
June 15, 2022
I read this in the store. Three days later I'm still thinking about it. I'm going to have to buy it. The story is so sweet - and allegorical - it's not really about flowers but rather being different - perhaps it's chemotherapy or maybe something more benign like - well, you understand. It's a wonderful moral. I want to think of all of my nieces and nephews as the understanding, sympathetic friend. Lovely message and illustrations.
Profile Image for Nubes 🌸.
269 reviews5 followers
August 30, 2025
Cute 🌻💐🌸🌹🏵🌷🌺🥀 Mi ha fatto venire voglia di scrivere una storia ambientata in un mondo in cui tutte le persone hanno fiori nei capelli. Prima o poi lo faccio.

Profile Image for Julie Rowan-Zoch.
Author 9 books49 followers
August 28, 2021
Charming, bright illustrations in a loose yet vivacious style guide the reader with a gentle nudge to be aware of the needs of friends, and to have compassion for others on each others own terms. Simple, delicate, heartwarming, and huggable.
Profile Image for Liselotte.
1,213 reviews13 followers
June 8, 2024
Edition read: Dutch

Sometimes you read a picturebook and it just hits way too close to home for comfort and you can't really fully express that because , ya know, it's a picture book and people who don't read picture books as much as other people just DON'T understand
Profile Image for Tabrizia.
726 reviews7 followers
September 5, 2021
Thank you Edelweiss and Candlewick Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A beautifully illustrated picture book that shows the idea of friendship, acceptance and working together to make someone feel welcome.
Profile Image for Marcia.
Author 5 books44 followers
August 11, 2022
Lovely gentle story about supporting friends, especially when they are faced with illness or other difficult challenges.
Profile Image for Kato :).
21 reviews
April 23, 2025
voorgelezen in de bib, maar was te mooi om niet te onthouden :)
Profile Image for Mayra.
50 reviews4 followers
February 7, 2024
Heel lief en mooi boekje over anders zijn en vriendschap.

(Voorgelezen op de BSO, bloemenkroon gemaakt)
Profile Image for Jeremy.
1,393 reviews60 followers
May 20, 2022
Very pretty illustrations but super pointless story. I guess I was waiting for some sort of meaning or metaphor but it seems that the whole point of the story is: Isn't it interesting to think about a boy with flowers in his hair?

SUMMARY: There's a boy with flowers for hair. One day the flowers die. So his classmate makes paper flowers for the boy to wear. And then eventually the boy's hair flowers grow back. The end.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.