Lena’s Zinnias
My friend, Missy Rolfe recently published an adorable picture book titled Lena’s Zinnias. As you can tell by the title, the book is about growing zinnias. What makes this picture book so special (besides the story itself) is the sweet story behind the story.
Missy’s grandmother, Lena, loved caring for her flower garden and watching the zinnias blossom and grow. She shared her love of zinnias with her daughter, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter, who also helped to care for them.
The ladies would often pick colorful bouquets and give them to friends and family. Lena’s zinnias brought smiles to everyone who received them. On Lena’s 90th birthday, everyone who came to her party received a packet of zinnia seeds so they could start growing their own flower gardens.
The last verse in the story goes like this:
Lena now lives in her heavenly home,
but her daughter and granddaughters too,
keep planting the flowers and spending hours
enjoying their beautiful view.
The rhyming text is smooth and lyrical, and the colorful illustrations by her daughter, Sydney Rolfe, are a perfect match for this sweet story. To add an educational element to the book, a two-page spread follows the story with detailed steps on how to grow your own zinnias, as well as some fun facts about zinnias.
In the front of the book is a spread with pictures of the four seasons, two of which include zinnias. Ecclesiastes 3:11 acknowledges God as creator–He makes everything beautiful in its time.
As I read and reviewed this story, I saw a deeper meaning woven into the pages. Passing flower seeds from one generation to the next is like passing seeds of faith to future generations. And just as those flowers seeds grow into beautiful flowers, seeds of faith can grow into beautiful children of God.
I am happy to give this book 5 stars! *****
Crystal Bowman
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