How to Talk to Your Succulent

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.