Mia's Story: A Sketchbook of Hopes and Dreams Book

From award-winning picture book artist Michael Foreman comes the uplifting tale of a girl whose search for a lost puppy leads to some wondrous wildflowers — and a magical way to transform her barren village.

In a bleak little village in Chile, Papa comes home from his day of selling metal scraps with a wonderful surprise for his daughter, Mia. It's a puppy she names Poco, who follows the little girl everywhere — until one day, as puppies will do, Poco wanders away. As Mia searches for her pup, she finds herself all alone at the top of the highest mountain, where she gathers a clump of snow-white flowers to plant by her home. Soon Mia's fragrant flowers have spread through the village and blanketed the once-ugly dump. Before long, she is selling her flowers in the city square, telling crowds of customers that "they come from the stars." But wherever the flowers are, Mia is always reminded of Poco. Is it possible the flowers may bring back her beloved dog after all?

Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz - Children's Literature

Mia's inspirational story is based on Foreman's experience in a poor village in Chile, where he met her when his bus broke down. Mia's father brings her a puppy from the city one day. When Paco disappears, Mia searches for him on horseback through the surrounding dump and on until she finds herself high in the mountains in the snow. On her way home, she discovers some beautiful flowers she feels are "from the stars." She carefully collects and plants them at home. By spring, their seeds have produced flowers covering the ugly dump. Mia decides to go to the city with her father and try to sell her flowers in the market. They sell so well that soon her father can dream of building a brick house to replace their shack. An even happier ending comes with Paco's return. The front endpapers depict the desolate browns of winter in the dump, while those in back show the flower-filled summertime. The pages in between combine fragments of action and visual information, perhaps as found in the artist's scrapbook or journal. The story's text is in print, while the notes for the sketches are as if hand-written. Foreman's pencil with touches of watercolor tells Mia's story effectively. Several double-page scenes add contextual details to the emotional content. The contrast between Mia's home and the scene in the city market in front of the cathedral is particularly impressive. 2006, Candlewick Press, Ages 5 to 9.