An 11-year-old girl befriends a supportive talking succulent in this tender and beautifully illustrated middle-grade graphic novel about grief.
Adara, whose mom recently died, has moved with her father to the "middle-of-nowhere" to live with her grandma. Nothing feels the same, especially not her "anxious and uptight" dad, who hasn't even talked to Adara about their loss. When a succulent named Perle breaks free of its pot and speaks to her, Adara is thrilled to have a friend. It's a happy surprise, too, when Adara connects with Winnie, an eccentric girl from school. Adara is overtaken by overwhelming emotions, however, when her dad continues struggling to break down the wall of sadness between them. At the same time, Adara learns a painful and isolating lesson: it's not fair to confide in friends without listening to what they'd like to share in return.
How to Talk to Your Succulent by Zoe Persico (illustrator, Greta and the Giants) is a sweet and stunningly illustrated story about how to be heard and how to listen. Persico uses her digital art to say what words cannot: the pain felt by both Adara and Perle manifests as thorny brambles that suffocate the panels; Perle, left in shadow, is visibly malnourished when in need of sun; Adara's distant father's hand reaches for the girl but doesn't touch. Not all is bleak. There's a delightful whimsy in Adara's interactions with Winnie and Perle, and while cooking with her doting grandmother. Happier scenes of soft, sun-dappled images reflect Adara's hope for healing. It's by "finally reaching for the light" that Adara finds what she needs to grow. --Samantha Zaboski, freelance editor and reviewer