FLORIDIUS BLOOM AND THE PLANET OF GLOOM

With an explanatory verse that feels tacked on to compensate for an abrupt start, this well-intentioned fantasy about the need for companionship is a flop. After a benign alien named Floridius Bloom captures the light from a fallen star, he is persuaded to leave his walled garden sanctuary by a small extraterrestrial. Feeling warm and secure after a visit with Zrill’s affectionate family, Floridius and his young companion tear down the bricked garden, spreading brightness throughout their gray homeland. The simple prose featuring cryptic dialogue is both choppy and confusing. Why—for instance—is Floridius both enlightened and ignorant about his planet and its citizens? The gentle, mixed-media paintings are probably too soft for their own good, doing little to bridge the story’s communication gap. Whimsy—gone wrong. (Picture book. 4-7)