Rosie Sprout’s Time to Shine by Allison Wortche and pictures by Patrice Barton (Knopf, 2011) is a book about selflessness and overcoming jealousy. Rosie is tired of being overshadowed in her class by Violet, whom everyone believes is the Best in everything she does. When it comes time to begin the class unit on growing a plant, Rosie is determined to have the best plant, despite what Violet brags about. But when Violet remains out of class, sick, for days, Rosie feels she should help Violet’s plant succeed.
I loved how Rosie’s “time to shine” in this book was not about the recognition from others, but rather about her own internal change from jealousy to service. The digitally rendered pencil illustrations are soft and sweet, perfectly matching the feeling of Rosie’s story. I really liked this book.
