1. Anxiety
2. Art
3. Art techniques
4. Book design
5. Bullying
6. Collage
7. Creativity
8. Cruelty
9. Endpapers
10. Figurative language
11. Greed
12. Imagination
13. Paper sculpture
14. Perspectives (Art)
15. Sadness
16. Visual literacy

‘Paper-Flower Girl’ tells the story of the Giant on the Big Hill and the Paper-Flower Girl on the Plain of Small Surprises who lead very different lives. His is one of smoke and fog and darkness, hers one of colour, creativity and beauty. The Giant orders the Paper-Flower Girl to come to his fortress so she can make flowers just for him. But this intemperate being does not understand that creativity requires inspiration, thought and time. He constantly berates the girl, telling her she is too clever, too quiet and too slow.

The flowers the girl makes for the Giant reflect the pressure she is under – they are colourless, drab and drooping. Whatever she does is not right for this loud, bombastic creature. Finally, the girl is thrown back down onto the plain, where she can once again make beautiful flowers that make her heart sing, while the Giant continues to search for the flashes, bangs and booms that his ill-tempered nature require.

Lamond’s lyrical text and Jager’s delicate imagery dance together on the page. Jager uses colour and perspective in her orientally inspired illustrations to contrast the Giant’s grey fortress and the Paper-Flower Girl’s colourful world full of glorious shades of rust, blood, blush, teal, honey, gold and sage. The artwork was created using pencil drawings, watercolour and collage, which Jager digitally finished in Photoshop. This is a great book for exploring visual literacy and for discussing what lies at the heart of creativity and artistry, both in words and images.

Honour Book 2024 CBCA Picture Book of the Year Award.

1. Dirt Lane Press ‘Paper-Fower Girl’ – Teaching notes https://dirtlanepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Paper-Flower-Girl_teachers-notes.pdf
2. Lamont Books ‘Picture Books: Paper Flower Girl,’ CBCA 2024 Short List, Teacher Notes https://www.lamontbooks.com.au/media/228951/pb-paper-flower-girl.pdf
3. Kids’ Book Review 1 July 2014. Review of ‘Paper-Flower Girl’ by Margrete Lamond and Mateja Jager http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2024/07/review-paper-flower-girl.html
4. Reading Time 3 June 2024. Susanne Gervay reviews ‘Paper-Flower Girl’ by Margrete Lamond and Mateja Jager https://readingtime.com.au/paper-flower-girl/
5. Paper Bark Words 11 June 2024. Joy Lawn ‘-Interview with Illustrator Mateja Jager’ https://paperbarkwords.blog/2024/06/11/paper-flower-girl-written-by-margrete-lamond-illustrated-by-mateja-jager/
6. Tierney McAfee and Charlyn Mattox, ‘21 DIY Paper Flower Ideas for an Easy Craft Project,’ Country Living, 21 April 2024 https://www.countryliving.com/diy-crafts/g30930268/how-to-make-paper-flowers/#
7. ‘Crafting Paper Flowers Inspired by “Paper Flower Girl’ Little Learner Hub, 17 June 2024 https://littlelearnerhub.com/2024/06/17/crafting-paper-flowers-inspired-by-paper-flower-girl/