“[About] accept[ing] the inevitability of change and the importance of supporting others’ success and growth.”—Publishers Weekly

When a florist puts two plants in the same rosy-colored pot, he tells the bigger, stronger plant to look after the smaller, weaker one. An artist buys the plants and takes them home, where they become part of the family, celebrating happy occasions and feeling sorrowful during hard times. But as time passes and the plants grow, the pot becomes too small, and the two must be separated. While this makes the larger plant sad, it still rejoices in the way the smaller one flourishes on its own, and looks forward to the day when they will be planted in the artist’s garden to grow into trees together.

Nahid Kazemi has created a charming, beautifully illustrated story about accepting growth and change in close relationships.

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.7
>With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2
>Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4
>dentify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.3
>Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.7
>Explain how specific aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting)