Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

When Uncle Harry announces his engagement to Florrie, it's a dream come true for Harry's niece, Brenda Berman, who has always dreamed of being a flower girl in a dress of gold lamé with a diamond tiara and a basket of rose petals. There are, however, a few challenges to Brenda's fantasy, most notably the fact she has to share the stage with Florrie's niece Lucy and that she is expected to wear lavender taffeta ("Now she was going to lose Uncle Harry without even getting gold lamé to make it better"). After Harry and Florrie elope to Honolulu, sending all wedding plans down the drain, Brenda discovers that Lucy is equally angry, whereupon the two girls become allies and help organize a wedding celebration for the returning [End Page 48] newlyweds their way. Told in five short chapters, Zalben's lighthearted tale of flower girl dreams gone awry offers a solid presentation of character growth: Brenda shifts from acting like a stubborn brat accustomed to getting her way to acting like a young lady who apologizes to her new auntie for being "Brenda the Brute." The shift from despising Lucy for being the other flower girl to joining forces with her is also believably executed. Chess' watercolor illustrations depict a tight-knit, loving family; her figures' usual pop-eyed eccentricity, though restrained here, helps keep the book interesting rather than just flowery. Though the tight margins and wide columns of text may be a little visually daunting for burgeoning readers, they'll readily relate to Brenda's plight and appreciate the witty narrative. Three family recipes are included.