Written by Beth Ferry
Illustrated by Claire Keane
New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2024. Picture Book.
When someone is good at gardening we often say that they have a green thumb. Prunella's parents were these type of gardeners. Their green thumbs helped them grow beautiful gardens with healthy plants that everyone admired and loved. They were dismayed when their daughter was born with a beautiful purple thumb! They wondered what this could possibly mean. As Prunella grew her parents discovered that her preference was to nurture plants that were spiny, carnivorous, fungal, and poisonous. They didn't understand her plant choices but they encouraged her to nurture what she loved. They understood that her strong roots in gardening would eventually blossom when she was ready. Even though the other children would avoid Prunella's garden because her plants would pinch and poke and smelled terrible, she still found great joy in cultivating them. One day a young boy came and visited Prunella's garden. He loved it and was fascinated and asked her questions about the plants she was growing. Prunella was surprised to discover that there were children like her who also enjoyed unusual plants and loved them as much as she did.
This was a delightful story with beautiful illustrations. I really liked the moody blue-gray and jeweled tones that complemented the story and added a fun atmosphere to Prunella's unusual garden. This book explains in a sweet way that people can be different, unique and interested in different things but we should appreciate and accept everyone for what they add and bring to the world.
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