Lilla’s Sunflowers

I know many families with loved ones in the military. It’s hard on little ones when Mom or Dad is deployed and they are left behind. Children understand their parent needs to leave for work but the long spans of time they are gone is difficult on the family.  Lilla’s Sunflowers is about a little girl named Lilla and her Papa. Papa is in the military and is going to have to go away for an extended tour. One of their favorite things to do together is sit in Lilla’s sunflowers and sing songs together. So, before Papa leaves Lilla gives him a sunflower seed to plant on his tour. That summer Lilla plants her sunflower seeds and watches them grow.

Lilla uses the sunflowers to help pass the time while her Papa is away. At night time, she likes to sit among the sunflowers and tell them stories just like she would’ve told her Papa had he been home.  Lilla spent a fair amount of time out in the sunflower garden while her Papa was deployed.

Then fall came and the sunflowers started to wilt. The birds started to eat the seeds of the sunflowers and Lilla became extremely distraught. Her mother tried to comfort her and tell her next summer there would be more flowers. But Lilla was trying to keep her flowers alive so Papa could see them. She didn’t want him missing out on the sunflowers this year.

One day, a little was sitting on the table addressed to Lilla. Inside was a letter from her Papa. He was coming home! And he sent a picture of him with a sunflower! The sunflower had grown from the seed Lilla sent with him on his deployment. Instantly Lilla’s disappointment of the flower dying disappeared. Papa had seen her sunflowers this year!

After Papa returned letters started arriving from all over the country of people holding sunflowers. Lilla was a little confused. Papa explained how he had given each one of his friends a sunflower seed from her flower before they all went home. Now her sunflower was spreading happiness and joy all over the country!

Lilla’s Sunflowers is an adorable story, how one little girl coped with her father’s deployment. If you have a loved one going through a similar situation this is a good book to help talk about their feelings and let them know they are not alone.

You can purchase your own copy of Lilla’s Sunflowers at Amazon.

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