When the Sakura Bloom

The storyline of When the Sakura Bloom is pretty much exactly what the title makes it sound like. You follow the preparations for the cherry blossom festival and get a sense of how excited everyone is about the time of year and how short of a time the trees are in bloom.

The illustrations are well represented on the cover, but there is not much variety in what is shown—lots of cherry trees, which are prettier in person. It’s a nice story that kids from a wide age range will enjoy reading in season.

It could be particularly good for families who live in places where cherry trees are not prevalent, much the way that stories about making maple syrup appeal to southerners or stories about living in the desert interest those living in cold regions.