By
– January 9, 2012
Brenda Berman has always dreamed of being a flower girl. She would wear “a gold lame flower-girl dress with sparkly shoes like ballet slippers, and a shiny diamond tiara in her hair. She’d walk down the aisle— alone—before the bride and groom, sprinkling pale pink rose petals on the path to the altar.” But now her favorite Uncle Harry is getting married to the dreaded Florrie, who has plans that include lavender and taffeta instead of gold lame. Mama helps Brenda to “open her heart” and make friends with her co-flower girl, Florrie’s niece. The story shows a warm Jewish family (wearing yarmulkes at the wedding), and the characters are appealing; however, the stylized watercolor depictions of people are rather cartoonish and the facial expressions have little charm. There are three child-friendly recipes at the end of the book for things that were eaten at the wedding, including, “Mama’s Famous Wedding Cake.” The book in written for a second/third grade reading level, and it is separated into five short chapters. Ages 6 – 8.
Barbara Silverman had an M.L.S. from Texas Woman’s University. She worked as a children’s librarian at the Corpus Christi Public Libraries and at the Corpus Christi ISD before retiring. She worked as a volunteer at the Astor Judaic Library of the Lawrence Family JCC in La Jolla, CA. Sadly, Barbara passed away is 2012.