Cover of The Girl Who Cried Flowers by Jane Yolen

Girl Who Cried Flowers, The

THE GIRL WHO CRIED FLOWERS

Illustrated by David Palladini

T. Y. Crowell 1974

ISBN# 0-690-00216-5 Crowell hardcover

ISBN# Schocken paperback

The publication of this book, nine years after my first book had appeared, established my reputation in the children’s literature field. These five original fairy tales–“The Girl Who Cried Flowers,” “Dawn Strider,” “The Weaver of Tomorrow,” “The Lad Who Stared Everyone Down,” and “Silent Bianca,” together with the stories in Moon Ribbon and The Hundredth Dove, were what led to my being called the Hans Christian Andersen of America. Putting the stories together in a single volume was the idea of my astute and wonderful editor Ann K. Beneduce, and she had a hand in all my fairy tales for many years after. There are two variant editions. In the first printing, the lettering on the dustjacket spine is black. From second printing on, the lettering on the dustjacket spine is red. There were a number of copies misbound in the second edition, with the first signature (16 pages) of the book Think Metric! bound in place of the correct signature. The book won the Golden Kite Award and was a finalist for the National Book Award.

Recording: There is an audiotape of THE GIRL WHO CRIED FLOWERS that I narrated for Weston Woods in their Readings to Remember series. Weston Woods 486C.

The story “The Girl Who Cried Flowers” was published in Cricket Magazine  July 1990

There is an animated movie (JY wrote script) by Auryn Studios

Accolades:

  • 1974 Golden Kite Award
  • Nominee for the National Book Award
  • NY Times Best Illustrated Books
  • ALA 1974 Notable Children’s Book
  • AIGA Certificate of Excellence
  • Nominee Georgia Book Award 1977
  • Parents Choice Award for audio book

What reviewers have said:

  • “Five original and elegantly told tales.”—School Library Journal
  • “Jane Yolen’s original stories are as powerful as ancient myths—each containing an important truth told in beautiful imagery.”—School Library Journal audio review
  • “Each (story) glows with a strange mythological quality…Yolen’s style…is lyrical, and the illustrations by David Palladini have a chilling beauty. The Girl Who Cried Flowers will be treasured by those children old enough to appreciate the beauty of language.”—Gene Shalit’s Critic’s Corner, NBC News
  • “…five stories with the mystery and magic and sense of authenticity of ancient folktales. They are, however, original works by an author who is distinguished for her tales of fantasy and enchantment…’Modern classic’ is overworked, but this book brings such a term irrevocably to mind.”—Boston Globe