The Falling Flowers

In this sweet story, a young girl in modern-day Japan takes a special trip to visit the blossoming cherry trees with her grandmother.

What is more fun than the zoo, more beautiful than a shrine, and prettier than the neon lights of Tokyo? Mayumie and her grandmother are taking a train ride into the heart of the biggest city in Japan to see something special, but Grandmother won’t say what it is.

Mayumie tries to guess what this special place might be, but the excitement of riding the train and seeing the sights of the city is almost thrilling enough. Finally, they turn down a quiet street and find what Grandmother has been looking for--a grove of Japanese cherry trees, all in blossom.

This touching story of a little girl’s outing with her grandmother takes place in modern-day Japan, where cherry trees bloom for one week every spring. With text simple enough for beginning readers, author Jennifer Reed captures the excitement and wonder of a young girl’s day in the big city, while illustrator Dick Cole’s watercolors complement both the serenity and animation of Tokyo in the springtime.

Jennifer B. Reed lived in Japan for three years and was inspired to write The Falling Flowers after her first spring there. She was in awe of the flowering cherry trees and the strong bonds so often found between Japanese grandmothers and their grandchildren, which reminded her of her own bond with her grandmothers. Jennifer has published many picture books and nonfiction titles for children and teens. She lives in Vermont with her husband.

Dick Cole was an illustrator and watercolorist. A graduate of UCLA and the Art Center College of Design, he worked as a graphic designer, art director, and illustrator in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. He garnered awards from the three cities’ Art Director’s Clubs as well as their Societies of Illustrators. Dick died in September 2016.