SYNOPSIS

Little Miss Moon meets a traveling paper-flower salesman passing through her tiny village. Recognizing how smitten she is with his flower “tree”, the man gifts Miss Moon a small flower and suggests that its bead, if planted, may too sprout a paper-flower tree. Despite the villagers’ ridicule, Miss Moon lovingly cares for her bead for a year but next time the salesman passes through the village, she tells him her sad news – contrary to his promise, no tree has grown. Overnight, a beautiful paper-flower tree magically grows in Miss Moon’s yard. The villagers ridicule again while the salesman waves goodbye (his tree missing…) but Miss Moon’s happiness is complete. She has her very own magnificent paper-flower tree.

PERFECT AGE 4 – 8

THEMES

• Believing in one’s dreams, despite others’ incredulity
• Kindness to children, to their feelings and dreams
• Seeing the magic and beauty in life

We love

• The traveling salesman has a bigger heart than most of us put together
• Rich symbolism in a small, seemingly simple story
• Enchanting mixed-media drawings
• A reminder that dreams transcend the pragmatic, and keeping children’s dreams is more important than profit

CONVERSATION STARTERS

• Why did the man give Miss Moon a flower without getting paid?
• Why do you think Miss Moon ignored the villagers who said she couldn’t grow a tree from a bead?
• How did Miss Moon’s tree appear overnight?
• What do you think the traveling salesman did next?