Holly’s Hollyhocks Around the World (paperback)

Reviews

1. 

   Reviewed by Amy Raines for Readers’ Favorite – March 28, 2023

   Holly loves meeting new people from all over the world. So, she decides to become a pen pal. Instead of choosing just one or two people to write to, she writes to all six of them. Checking the mail daily for replies to her letters becomes a fun activity for Holly. When the letters start coming in, Holly is excited to learn that her pen pals have answered her questions about the places they live and the things they like to do. Holly loves Hollyhocks so much that she sends each of her pen pals seeds to plant. What kinds of things did she learn from her new friends? Will they plant the seeds? Will the flowers grow in different locations across the globe? Find out more in Holly’s Hollyhocks Around the World by Marsha Jackson and illustrated by Sheena Whatcott.

   Holly’s Hollyhocks Around the World by Marsha Jackson is a fun story that will encourage kids to learn more about the people around them, even those from great distances away. I love how Jackson also highlights what Holly learns about her faraway friends, which teaches kids to respect and celebrate different cultures. The illustrations by Sheena Whatcott add a beautiful layer of colorful images that give in-depth meaning to the story’s plot. The characters are easily relatable to kids and express how different things are in different parts of the world. I loved reading about the friendships that grew and bloomed as a Hollyhock plant does. Awesome story!