• Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2022 February #1
  Born in France in 1912, Francis Meilland grew up on a farm where his parents and grandparents grew vegetables and fruit to sell at the local market and roses to ship throughout Europe. As a child, he loved roses, and as he grew older, he cross-pollinated different varieties in hopes of creating a uniquely beautiful flower. Rose growers from distant countries visited the farm in 1939 and were struck by the sight of one exquisite variety. When WWII began, Meilland shipped cuttings of that plant to his visitors, including Robert Pyle, who sold it in America, patented it for its inventor, and named it the Peace Rose. In the appended notes, Roberts mentions that profits from that plant enabled the postwar rebuilding of the Meilland family's rose business. The story, featuring a lifelong dream realized despite discouragement and setbacks, unfolds at steady pace. Precise and detailed, Ibatoulline's captivating watercolor paintings help readers imagine the historical settings, while portraying people as individuals and the rose as an exceptional flower. A lovely picture book on an unusual topic. Grades 2-4. Copyright 2022 Booklist Reviews.
• Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2022 February #1
  Born in France in 1912, Francis Meilland grew up on a farm where his parents and grandparents grew vegetables and fruit to sell at the local market and roses to ship throughout Europe. As a child, he loved roses, and as he grew older, he cross-pollinated different varieties in hopes of creating a uniquely beautiful flower. Rose growers from distant countries visited the farm in 1939 and were struck by the sight of one exquisite variety. When WWII began, Meilland shipped cuttings of that plant to his visitors, including Robert Pyle, who sold it in America, patented it for its inventor, and named it the Peace Rose. In the appended notes, Roberts mentions that profits from that plant enabled the postwar rebuilding of the Meilland family's rose business. The story, featuring a lifelong dream realized despite discouragement and setbacks, unfolds at steady pace. Precise and detailed, Ibatoulline's captivating watercolor paintings help readers imagine the historical settings, while portraying people as individuals and the rose as an exceptional flower. A lovely picture book on an unusual topic. Grades 2-4. Copyright 2022 Booklist Reviews.

Barbara Carroll Roberts is the author of a middle-grade novel Nikki on the Line and lives in Virginia with her husband, two cats, and one very goofy dog.

Bagram Ibatoulline has illustrated many acclaimed books for children, including The Matchbox Diary by Paul Fleischman; On the Blue Comet by Rosemary Wells; The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and Great Joy, both by Kate DiCamillo; and The Serpent Came to Gloucester by M. T. Anderson. Bagram Ibatoulline lives in Chichester, New York.