The Boy with Flowers in his hair

Delightfully whimsical is Jarvis’ story with its small boy narrator. This boy is best friends with David the boy whose hair is gloriously adorned with flowers of all colours and kinds. Both children are in Mrs Jones’ class and this kind-hearted woman tolerates the sneeze-inducing flowers worn by the sweet gentle member of her group. His classmates too are fond of David and take little notice of his unusual tonsorial style until a family of birds take up residence in his hair.

One day however, as the narrator waters David’s hair, one of the petals comes off in his hand. The result is that David is quiet for the rest of that afternoon, eschewing opportunities to join in the play of his friends.

The following day for the first time, David comes to class wearing a hat and is uncharacteristically quiet. When as his teacher’s behest, David like the others removes his outer garments including the hat, what is revealed is a ‘twiggy, skinny and brittle’ growth, with petals cascading down like butterflies. Now during class the other children are physically distant but not so the narrator who receives the occasional accidental scratch. He is also struck by a creative idea and amassing the appropriate materials he initiates operation ‘give David his colour back’. Fellow class members are happy to join in and it’s not long before in addition to a new floral head adornment, David regains his former spirit.

Then, comes a day when the narrator notices a different flower, not made by human hands but one of David’s, a real new beautiful bloom, soon to be followed by more flowers, not to mention all the buzzy bees. As for all the coloured paper, the narrator has that safely stored – just in case – because as he tells us, “he’s my best friend and I am his.”

There’s a pleasing circularity to this tale of supportiveness and kindness so beautifully illustrated in Jarvis’s warm-hearted illustrations that show the ups and downs of David’s emotions along with those of his best pal. With important themes of friendship and acceptance of difference, this book is one to share and discuss both in school and at home.