What a beautiful story about fulfilling your destiny, about becoming more than just want people expect of you. Everyone is capable of so much more than we realize and this story tells it in such an adorable manner. The characters are likeable, the illustrations are fun. A good read aloud. ( )

Bloom is a great read for children ages kindergarten through 2nd grade to learn about the power of friendship, and what it feels like to be different. As children enter elementary school, they are beginning to form some of their first friendships with the students who may be in their class. It is important for them to learn what true friendship is, and how to be a good friend. In the book, Bloom let Genevieve use her knowledge to help the King and Queen rebuild the castle because she knew it would make her feel happy. This shows children that sometimes they must sacrifice things they really want in order to make someone they care about happy. Also, the book describes Bloom in a way that most fairies are not described. She likes dirt and mud. Since she liked dirt and mud, everyone thought she was weird, and did not understand why she acted in the ways she did. As the reader continues the story, they see that even though Bloom seemed a little different than other fairies, she was very smart and had cool abilities that other fairies may not have. This teaches the students another important lesson of accepting others for their differences, and not to judge a book by its cover. ( )

This book is muddy brilliant. But it’s hard to explain why without giving the story away. Lets just say its about an ordinary girl learning she is extraordinary. All from a little mud and fairy dust. ( )

A cute story that celebrates a little fairy that can be beautiful and get messy all at the same time. I like this book as another modern fairytale to add to the bookshelf. ( )

Once upon a time, in a fabulous glass kingdom, there lives a fairy. But she's not an ordinary fairy, she's got big boots and messy hands and is awfully noisy. So the king and all the people ask her to please go away. And she does. But without the fairy, the kingdom begins to fall into disrepair and the most powerful people in the land set out to find the magical being of their legends. One by one they fail, until they send perfectly ordinary Genevieve, cleaner of the queen's silver spoon. Can an ordinary girl succeed where all others have failed?

David Small's illustration style, all messy lines and splashes of color, is perfect for the messy, splashy world of the fairy Bloom where dirty is never bad and nothing is perfect.

I skimmed through this once and thought "too long, to didactic, meh" but then I read it again. And again. And the more I read it, the more I liked it.

Bloom celebrates the power of making, doing, and getting your hands dirty. In Bloom's world there is no such thing as an ordinary girl and hard work and willingness to try, fail, and try again is better than any magical power.

Verdict: This feels like it should be very didactic, a book about the power within us all, etc. etc. and yet....Cronin and Small are such experienced creators that together they have made something wonderful and inspirational, a book that will encourage readers to get out and get dirty, try new things, and never let anyone tell them they're "just" anything. This is too long for a storytime, but it would make a great read-aloud for a class or one-on-one with a child.

ISBN: 9781442406209; Published 2016 by Atheneum; Borrowed from another library in my consortium