May 1, 2021
Gr 3-7-In the city of Antiquitilla, two children are born. Julien is a pauper, son of a collector of herbs, berries, and flowers; his mother died during his birth. Una is a princess, daughter of the Magister Populi, rich in her mother's love until she, too, loses her mother during the birth of her brother. Their fathers' grief manifests very differently. Julien's Baba becomes overprotective and set upon teaching his son the gift of collecting botanicals. Una's father withdraws, his sorrow ending all joy in their house. Each child possesses a rare gift. Julien cannot smell but can hear the quietest of sounds, like flowers unfolding and or tree limbs and the stretching of tree limbs. Una has the gift of smell; she can sense the smell of her father's laughter and the fragrance of sunlight, but she is desperate to hold on to the scent of her mother before it disappears. When Una's father remarries and declares a great reward to anyone who can find the elusive Silva Flower, which he mistakenly thinks was his wife's favorite, the two children, now 12, meet and set out to earn the reward. Their journey will be fraught with deception, danger, and heartache. But each child will grow in strength and courage and use their gifts to discover their own destiny. This imaginative, descriptive fantasy will engage fans of stories of quests, fate, and the love of family. The writing is enchanting, blending the culture, customs, and history of an imagined world with the simple tale of a father's love. Chapters are narrated by both Julien and Una, allowing readers a glimpse into the uniqueness of each child's gift. Exquisitely detailed writing draws readers into the sounds and smells that surround the characters, leading this story of adventure and imagination to a satisfying conclusion. Una is described as having dark skin, while Julien's skin tone is not described. VERDICT A wonderful addition to a fantasy collection. Perfect for students who enjoy multicultural, timeless adventure stories.-Carol Connor, Cincinnati P.S., OH
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May 17, 2021
Johnson’s (The Splintered Light) lyrical novel, set long ago in the fictional city of Antiquitilla, centers two motherless friends with extraordinary senses who were born on the same day. Una, who perceives through scents, is the eldest child of Antiquitilla’s ruler, the Magister Populi. Julien, who understands the world through sound, is the only child of a gifted but poor botanist, Almus—once chief gardener to Una’s late mother. Una’s mother lived until the girl was six, dying in childbirth with Una’s brother, who is marked to become the next Magister; Julien’s mother died during his birth. The families grieve differently: Una’s father’s anguish is so overwhelming that he ignores his daughter’s sorrow and loneliness, while Julien and his father are bound deeply in love. Circumstances bring the children together when they are almost 12, and they join forces on a difficult quest for a unique flower that is also desperately sought by others. Johnson tenderly depicts their growing friendship, as well as Una’s memories of her mother, and the bond between Julien and his father. While a concluding event seems somewhat facile, it brings about well-earned results for both children, who each come to a mature peace with their loss. Ages 8–11.
June 1, 2021
A girl raised in opulence and a poor boy cross paths and, through one another's eyes, find their own strengths. Eleven-year-old Una is the firstborn child of the Magister Populi of Antiquitilla. Her mother died several years earlier, and her father has been absorbed in grieving, leaving her yearning for familial love. Meanwhile, Julien, who lives in poverty, is learning to identify every plant in the kingdom from his loving yet ailing Baba, who was Una's mother's gardener. Una experiences the world through her nose, while Julien doesn't understand the sense of smell but has a special ability to hear plants. The sensory differences between the two children are interesting, and they work together to find the elusive silva flower--for which Una's father has set a reward--before it can be located by dangerous marauders. Each child has deeply personal reasons for hoping to find it. The lyrical prose captures a fairy-tale setting, although occasional cartoonish hijinks and stylized, excessively formal dialogue from the children feel jarring. The flow of the book is in snapshots--short, focused chapters jumping from character to character, palace to bog. Frequent coincidences and the tidy ending detract from the hard-fought growth Una and Julien achieve through their own efforts. Physical descriptions of characters are few, although Una and her family are cued as Black, and several references to natural Black hair feel othering. A fascinating premise set in a unique sensory world that almost delivers. (Fiction. 8-12)
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July 1, 2021
Grades 3-6 Princess Una has a seemingly perfect life as the daughter of a powerful ruler, but after her mother passes away, Una's father grows distant, leaving her lonely and largely ignored by the household. Julien, a poor pauper, is also without a mother, and although his father is present and loving, he is also terribly ill, leaving Julien to bear all responsibilities. When Una's father announces a reward for whoever finds a rare silva flower for her twelfth birthday, both children decide that locating the flower is the best way out of their unhappy predicaments. After their paths converge in an unexpected place, the unconventional pair join forces to fulfill their dreams. Johnson's story is sweetly satisfying, particularly excelling at stunning descriptions of sensory awareness. Una is frequently led by a delicate, deep sense of smell, while Julien uses his exceptional hearing to extraordinary effect. Though the concluding coincidences feel a tad tidy, the moving and compelling quest underscores the universality of human struggle and the power of friendship to pull each other through.
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