How to Talk to Your Succulent

February 1, 2025
Freshly grieving the death of her mother, 11-year-old Adara finds herself transplanted from California to her father's Michigan hometown. Worse, Dad keeps going quiet instead of talking about their shared loss. All Adara wants is to "feel normal again," but she doesn't know how to even begin talking about the intensity of her feelings. What she has is Grandma, Mom's many plants, and a tentative, blossoming new friendship. One day, a Perle von Nurnberg, a variety of purple succulent that was special to her mother, suddenly comes alive and talks to her. That's when she discovers the real reason Mom was called the "plant whisperer"--and that she, too, has a special, wild power. But like her beloved Perle, Adara needs care and attention. Poignant moments are embedded throughout this graphic novel, as when Adara suddenly finds herself grief-stricken when she has to introduce herself to a class of staring students in her new school. Precious scenes include ones in which she cooks with her grandmother, forging a deeper connection with her. Although the luminous illustrations are a delight, the fantastical plants sometimes feel too cute and young for the story's overall tone and audience. This lightly magical exploration of grief will appeal to fans ofEventown by Corey Ann Haydu andSavi and the Memory Keeper by Bijal Vachharajani. Adara presents biracial, her father reads white, and her mother had brown skin. A touching story rooted in grief and healing. (author's note, photos, succulent information, sketches)(Graphic fiction. 8-12)

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Starred review from March 1, 2025

Gr 4 Up-After the death of her mother, Adara's dad, struggling to cope with his grief alone, moves them to Michigan to live with her grandma. As Adara tries to find her new normal, her father's overprotectiveness feels suffocating. When he notices Adara engaging with nature as her mother did, he finds strength and encourages her to open her heart by introducing a new plant into her life. As Adara grows into her gift of speaking with flora, she delights in discovering her mother's plant family. Over the course of the story, Adara tries to balance her mourning, new friendships, her dad's emotional needs, and her plant companions' blossoming requirements, but struggles to keep up. Persico offers readers a tender yet unflinching exploration of grief, delving into jealousy, sadness, and the many ways loss affects people. The text also underscores the importance of self-care when supporting others who grieve differently. For the story, told in long chapters, the soft, cartoon-style artwork brilliantly captures tone and mood through its colors and intricate details. The illustrations, paired with the utterly charming characters, make this book a must-read. Adara's story concludes on a hopeful note, perhaps inspiring readers to let happiness take root. VERDICT With enchanting artwork and profound storytelling, this debut offers windows and mirrors into the grieving process, and will move readers to tears-in the best way.-Angie Jameson

Copyright 2025 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2025
Grades 4-7 After Adara's mother passes away, nothing makes sense anymore. Her dad shuts down every time Adara tries to talk to him but still won't let her anywhere out of his sight, afraid that he will lose her. To make matters worse, he moves them from sunny California to mid-winter Michigan. Despite all this, bits of warmth sneak through the thorny vines of Adara's sadness: her lively grandmother, eccentric neighbor Winnie, and the discovery that she can speak to plants distract her from the pain she feels about her parents. With the help of her new friends, both human and leafy, will Adara learn to grow where she is planted? Persico's debut graphic novel is a touching tale, particular for middle-graders experiencing grief and loss. Persico's breathtaking artwork distinguishes this from other works tackling similar subjects--every page blushes with luscious color, enveloping readers in light. Like Boehman and Briner's Dear Rosie (2023), Persico's moving story uses the natural world to speak to young grief in a way that transcends words. Readers of all ages will walk away from this book feeling a bit sunnier.

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