Out Today: "Bloom" by Anne Booth and Robyn Wilson-Owen (Tiny Owl Books)

There's a lot to be said for books that offer hope - and though at the time we write this review we're still in lockdown, and summer still seems like a million miles away (despite the weather warming up and the sun shining outside), here's a book that offers a glimpse of a world where a simple message of love can conquer all.

"Bloom" by Anne Booth and Robyn Wilson Owen is the beautiful story of a little girl who always spies a gorgeous flower on her way to school.

Every day she takes a moment to talk to the beautiful flower, and tells it how much she loves it.

But one day a mean grumpy old man hears her, and shouts out of his window at her to stay away from his prized bloom. What a nasty old codger!

Unfortunately for him, the flower closes up its petals one night and refuses to open - no matter how much he and his gardener tend to it, water it and feed it.

But the flower is missing something the man has not realised it lacked - that simple message from the little girl, and so he seeks her out and begs her to come back to work her magic on his bloom.

It's lovely to see Anne working her magic in picture books as much as she does in middle grade - and as for Robyn Wilson-Owen, here's an illustrator who is going to be extremely sought after from now on so snap her up for your projects, her work is exquisite and beautiful.

Sum this book up in a sentence: A simple message beautifully conveyed at a time we need it most.

"Bloom" by Anne Booth and Robyn Wilson-Owen is out today, published by Tiny Owl Books (kindly supplied for review)