About the Holiday
If you yearn for a nice long stretch of peace and quiet in which to work, think, or play without the barrage of sounds, images, and other interruptions that make up modern life, then today’s holiday is for you. So how do you go about celebrating? Turn off your phone, TV, and music, tell your friends and family you’re taking a “me” day, and find a spot where you can shut the door and just…ahhhh…. For those on the other side of that door who want attention or need help, the day may require a bit of patience. But they might find that they appreciate a little quiet time too—just like the little girl in today’s book.
Patience, Miyuki
Written by Roxane Marie Galliez | Illustrated by Seng Soun Ratanavanh
“Blue earth, orange moon, Spring was all dressed up and ready for her first day of the year.” Up with the dawn, Miyuki was ready too. She rushed to her grandfather’s house eager to rouse him to watch the “last moonbeams of winter” and enjoy the first full day of spring. But Grandfather urged patience. He wanted to soak up the sunshine through his window. The day would still be there in an hour, he told her.
Image copyright Seng Soun Ratanavanh, 2019, courtesy of Princeton Architectural Press.
When her grandfather joined her, the two walked through the garden, greeting each tree, flower, and blade of grass. In the middle of the garden was a little flower still asleep. Miyuki called for it to wake up, but Grandfather said, “‘Be patient, Miyuki. This little flower is not ready to open. It is precious and delicate and needs the purest and finest water…’”
Determined to wake the little flower, Miyuki hurried away to the well. But when she raised the bucket, it was filled not with water, but with a frog. She pleaded with the well to give her water, but the well answered that she must wait for it to rain again. “But Miyuki did not want to wait.” Next, she tried approaching the clouds, but the ones full of water were too far away, a perfect little cloud did not want to give up its water, and the ones that did were too slow in filling up her little porcelain bucket.
Image copyright Seng Soun Ratanavanh, 2019, courtesy of Princeton Architectural Press.
The first day of Spring was half over and still Miyuki had not gathered water for the little flower. She walked and walked until she came to a waterfall. When Miyuki asked for its purest water, the waterfall told her she would have to wait for night, when the water lessened and she could cross over to the lake beyond. But Miyuki did not want to wait. As Miyuki walked on, she spied a house covered in flowers and a boy watering his garden. She approached and asked for some of his purest water. In exchange, he wanted to know who she was and to hear her story.
Image copyright Seng Soun Ratanavanh, 2019, courtesy of Princeton Architectural Press.
The boy filled her bucket and Miyuki ran home. On the way, though, she tripped and fell. Her bucket shattered and the water spilled out. By now it was nearly evening. Miyuki had missed almost the entire day, and she still had no water for her flower. Just then she heard the river’s song. The river asked her what she was doing so far from home at that hour. It offered to show her the way and give her some of its water. The trip lulled her to sleep, and when she reached home, Grandfather put her to bed.
Image copyright Seng Soun Ratanavanh, 2019, courtesy of Princeton Architectural Press.
When she woke, it was the second day of spring. Today, Grandfather was waiting for her in the garden. When Miyuki saw that the flower had not opened, “Two of the purest tears ran down her cheeks.” But Grandfather said, “‘Be patient, my little girl. Neither flowers no anyone in the world deserves to be watered by tears. Yesterday…you missed the first day of spring. Come, sit close to me, watch, and wait for once.’” Miyuki sat next to her grandfather and watched as he smelled a fragrant flower. Then he tipped a leaf and a few pure dewdrops fell onto the little flower. Slowly, the flower’s petals opened. It greeted Miyuki and apologized for being late, explaining, “‘I’ve been dreaming of Spring.’”
Image copyright Seng Soun Ratanavanh, 2019, courtesy of Princeton Architectural Press.
Roxane Marie Galliez’s gentle story encompasses two emotions that often spar within one mind: the desire to hurry, hurry, hurry and pack every moment with action or adventure and the longing to relax, observe, and really enjoy the peace of our own thoughts—or no thoughts at all. Miyuki wants to savor every moment of the first day of spring, but she spends the entire day rushing around to find water for the little flower who has her own time table. At last, lost and too tired to stay awake, Miyuki is put to bed by her grandfather only to wake the next morning ready to repeat her frantic pace. Only when Grandfather convinces her to sit and watch, can Miyuki appreciate the dawning sun, the fragrant flowers, and the fact that what she was searching for was right at hand all the time. In Miyuki, readers will recognize the strong feelings children often have when they want others to join in on their activities or viewpoints. Galliez reminds them that patience and paying attention to others’ needs can be a rewarding and a gift as well.
Seng Soun Ratanavanh’s striking illustrations combine dream-like scenes, surprising perspectives, and familiar elements of Japanese culture, including Kokeshi dolls, lucky cats, and origami, to draw readers into the story. Miyuki, smaller than a wren, tiny next to the well’s wooden bucket and the frog it catches, and able to ride in an origami swan boat, is a child of nature as is the boy who lives in a birdhouse and shares his gardening water. As Miyuki, with Grandfather’s hand on her shoulder, crouches down to wake the little flower, readers can see how small it is; that it is still new, growing, and learning. This touching image embodies the multi-layered themes of the story: the dual natures of children still new, growing, and learning with multigenerational support.
Lush and fantastical, yet rooted in mindfulness Patience, Miyuki is a visual feast that would quickly become a favorite for home, school, and public library collections.
Ages 5 – 8
Princeton Architectural Press, 2019 | ISBN 978-1616898434
Discover more about Roxane Marie Galliez and her books on her website.
To learn more about Seng Soun Ratanavanh and see a portfolio of her work, visit her website.
National No Interruptions Day Activity
Please Bee Quiet Poster
Sometimes you just need a little time to yourself. When that happens put this cute printable poster on your door and get bzzzzzzzzy on your own projects.
You can find Patience, Miyuki at these booksellers
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound
Picture Book Review
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