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A Rose Named Peace : How Francis Meilland Created a Flower of Hope for a World at War
A biography of the Peace rose and its creator digs deep into world history, botany, and the rewards of perseverance.
Francis Meilland was passionate about roses. He loved their rich perfume, their buds unfurling in the summer sun, and their petals, soft as lambs’ ears. Like his father and grandfather before him, Francis cultivated flowers on the family farm in France. In his teens, he set about grafting and experimenting, determined to create a rose no one had seen before, and as the world braced for World War II, he rushed cuttings to rose-growing friends around the globe. Six patient years later, word reached him: his rose had not only flourished; people were calling it the Peace Rose.
Francis Meilland was passionate about roses. He loved their rich perfume, their buds unfurling in the summer sun, and their petals, soft as lambs’ ears. Like his father and grandfather before him, Francis cultivated flowers on the family farm in France. In his teens, he set about grafting and experimenting, determined to create a rose no one had seen before, and as the world braced for World War II, he rushed cuttings to rose-growing friends around the globe. Six patient years later, word reached him: his rose had not only flourished; people were calling it the Peace Rose.
48 pages, Hardcover
Published April 12, 2022
About the author
Barbara Carroll Roberts
9 books39 followersBarbara Carroll Roberts is the author of a middle-grade novel Nikki on the Line and lives in Virginia with her husband, two cats, and one very goofy dog.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 23, 2022
Beautifully written and illustrated, A Rose Named Peace chronicles the development of what came to be known as the Peace Rose, cross bred by Frances Meilland in the years before WWII. The author could not have known how this book would resonate in our current fraught time of international conflict, but it does. The story of how, as war was brewing in Europe, Meilland sent samples of his rose to rose breeders in many countries, how his family had to tear out their roses to grow food during the war, and how the rose was embraced during and after the war for its beauty, is fascinating and touching. Begram Ibatoulline's illustrations are luminous. A splendid read and feast for the eyes.
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November 19, 2022I loved this book so.much it was a interesting book I really enjoyed it. I hope you enjoyed it like I did! :)💖💖
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 1, 2023
This is a beautifully illustrated story of one man’s passion to develop the most beautiful roses.
May 22, 2022
This book is beautifully written and has gorgeous illustrations. I learned so much about something I didn't even know I was interested in. The storytelling is engaging and each page has unique, intricate artwork. I would recommend this book to people of all ages, whether they think they're interested in history/roses or not. I will be gifting several copies for birthdays and baby showers this year. So timely!
November 3, 2021
We had a rose garden throughout my childhood and my dad taught me a lot about gardening and roses in particular. We might've had a Peace rose bush at some point, but I don't remember for sure. I really enjoyed learning about the history of this beautiful rose and how it eventually spread around the world. I will have a new appreciation for it whenever I see one next. As always, Bagram Ibatoulline's illustrations were gorgeous; he is incredibly talented at painting roses. This could be a good book for older kids interested in gardening, WWII, or even starting their own rose garden.
I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.
I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.
October 29, 2022
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
In the early 1900s, Francis Meilland's family grew roses in the French countryside, and as a young boy, he was interested in how the different varieties were created. He had some ideas of his own, and spent years cross pollinating in order to grow a rose of his own. This took a lot of work, but eventually he came up with a rose that was a creamy yellow with red tipped petals. He managed to make contacts in different parts of the world and was selling his flowers to them. When war broke out in Europe, he was able to send many of his contacts cuttings of this new rose. Since he had to turn the family farm over to food production for a number of years, and the war cut off contact with the outside world, he had no idea what happened to the rose. Robert Pyle, a breeder in the US, filed a patent in Meilland's name even though he did not know his friend's fate. Meilland kept up a small plot of roses during the war, and when peace was finally declared, the rose caught on, and was given the name "Peace". It is now one of the most popular rose varieties in the world.
Strengths: This is a beautiful and informative picture book. Ibatoulline's illustrations are beautiful, especially the views of the French countryside and the roses. There is just enough explanation of how roses are propagated to make sense even to very young readers without being overwhelming, and enough about the war to show how terrible it was without being traumatizing. Both topics require a delicate balance in a picture book treatment, and this was well done. The best part about this is that there is just the right amount of text for a read aloud, but plenty of information, and the pictures have plenty of details for pointing things out and discussing. It's been a while since I have read a picture book with a young person, but I remember those things being critical for read aloud success!
Weaknesses: There is no mention of Francis' mother, after whom the rose was originally named and who died at a young age. Meilland died at a young age as well. I would have rather had a few more biographical facts about Meilland, and some of the pages depicting his various failures could have been replaced with some of that information.
What I really think: This is a fantastic book that touches on many curricular issues, including science, botany, and World War II, and is also a story of hope and resilience. Since I love tea roses, I am half tempted to find a bush to plant in my yard now. As I write this, the war in Ukraine is entering its second week, so this is especially timely. Have we learned nothing as a civilization?
In the early 1900s, Francis Meilland's family grew roses in the French countryside, and as a young boy, he was interested in how the different varieties were created. He had some ideas of his own, and spent years cross pollinating in order to grow a rose of his own. This took a lot of work, but eventually he came up with a rose that was a creamy yellow with red tipped petals. He managed to make contacts in different parts of the world and was selling his flowers to them. When war broke out in Europe, he was able to send many of his contacts cuttings of this new rose. Since he had to turn the family farm over to food production for a number of years, and the war cut off contact with the outside world, he had no idea what happened to the rose. Robert Pyle, a breeder in the US, filed a patent in Meilland's name even though he did not know his friend's fate. Meilland kept up a small plot of roses during the war, and when peace was finally declared, the rose caught on, and was given the name "Peace". It is now one of the most popular rose varieties in the world.
Strengths: This is a beautiful and informative picture book. Ibatoulline's illustrations are beautiful, especially the views of the French countryside and the roses. There is just enough explanation of how roses are propagated to make sense even to very young readers without being overwhelming, and enough about the war to show how terrible it was without being traumatizing. Both topics require a delicate balance in a picture book treatment, and this was well done. The best part about this is that there is just the right amount of text for a read aloud, but plenty of information, and the pictures have plenty of details for pointing things out and discussing. It's been a while since I have read a picture book with a young person, but I remember those things being critical for read aloud success!
Weaknesses: There is no mention of Francis' mother, after whom the rose was originally named and who died at a young age. Meilland died at a young age as well. I would have rather had a few more biographical facts about Meilland, and some of the pages depicting his various failures could have been replaced with some of that information.
What I really think: This is a fantastic book that touches on many curricular issues, including science, botany, and World War II, and is also a story of hope and resilience. Since I love tea roses, I am half tempted to find a bush to plant in my yard now. As I write this, the war in Ukraine is entering its second week, so this is especially timely. Have we learned nothing as a civilization?
May 25, 2022
If nothing else, this picture book biography is a story of resilience and determination. But the well-written and exquisitely-illustrated story of Francis Meilland, born in 1912, and his Peace Rose offer so much more than that since they take readers back in time to WWII. Francis grew up working on the family farm in France where they grew roses, fruits, and vegetables. He became interested in cross-pollinating roses in order to create a rose whose beauty was unrivaled. Recording his results meticulously and completing the process thousands of times, he was unsuccessful for years, often thwarted by weather and various mishaps. But in 1939, success was his as the blooms from the fortieth plant that he grew from seeds from a third cross was deemed quite a beauty. As WWII broke out and the family destroyed 20,000 rosebushes in order to grow produce--all the roses except a small plot--Francis sent rose cuttings to a grower in Pennsylvania. The man, Robert Pyle, later contacted Francis after the war ended with the news that the rose was flourishing in all sorts of regions and had become an important symbol of hope. The story concludes with these memorable words: "His rose, a rose that had survived a terrible war, was now so much more than just a beautiful flower. Now, when people watched its fat rosebuds unfurl beneath the warm summer sun; when they touched its petals, soft as lambs' ears, beneath their fingers; when they breathed in its sweet, light scent and gazed at the glory of its flowers in full bloom, they would see hope for peace in every corner of the world" (unpaged). The back matter includes an Afterword stating that more than one hundred million Peace roses have been planted around the world as well as notes on roses, a glossary, and a bibliography. This is such a riveting story, and readers can sense Francis's frustration and determination through the carefully-chosen words the author uses to tell his story. And those illustrations? Created with watercolor--I cannot imagine a better choice for this account--and consisting of spot illustrations, incredibly-detailed double-page spreads filled with light and hope on the Meilland farm but also stark images of the ravages of war, the illustrations are the perfect complement to this story as they capture the incredible beauty of this rose and the importance of its bloom as a symbol. Add this picture book to a collection devoted to individuals who made a difference in the world around them or one consisting of books related to wartime. This is one of my favorites of 2022 so far.
June 13, 2022
Anyone who has an affinity for roses has probably called the "Peace Rose" one of their favorites. Francis Meilland was born in France in the early 19th century. As a young boy he enjoyed gardening and roses in particular. Experimenting with cross-pollination and grafting, he was able to cultivate a new variety around the time World War II broke out. He managed to send clippings to growers around the world and some six years later he learned from many his efforts were a huge success. "Peace was the name given to it by a rose grower named Robert Pyle from The United States.
This was such a lovely book and, isn't "peace" around the world something we need more of? I loved this book for many reasons: wonderful true story, loveliest of watercolor illustrations and, a book that reminded me of my mother who had a gorgeous rose garden--(the "peace rose" was always her favorite.
A lovely book that is not just for children.
May 13, 2022
A very different story, carefully told, with the historical background well incorporated into an interesting tale. The illustrations are gorgeous and steal the show as a book about the beauty of a rose should. Page-filling and with a lush classic feel Bagram Ibatoulline's beautiful work is the highlight of a terrific book. Back matter provides more information on roses and their development, this particular rose and its importance to the Meilland family and business and a glossary.
Not sure what the child audience may be here but for adults this is a treasure.
Not sure what the child audience may be here but for adults this is a treasure.
August 25, 2022
This is a beautiful picture book that tells the fascinating story of how a lovely hybrid rose, called the peace rose, came to be. Francis Meilland worked for years and years to develop this most exquisite of flowers, and this book offers a wonderful glimpse into life in the French countryside before and during World War II. The story contains themes of determination and persistence, and offers interesting historical information against such a spectacular backdrop of illustrations. I would highly recommend it for elementary school classrooms, libraries, and personal collections.
May 26, 2022
This is a wonderful book for all ages. The simple story of a man who would not give up against awful hardships is so inspiring. I heard the story read to a second grader and he was spellbound. This story has genetics, business, history and family love tied up in one story. If you know a rose lover, a history lover or a scientist this book is for them. As wonderful as the story is the picturs are amazingly beautiful. Well done!
June 14, 2022
This gorgeously illustrated picture book biography focuses on Meilland's experimental efforts to cross-breed a new type of rose, and what then happened during WWII. There are lots of inspiring details, especially at the end, and the book portrays meaningful messages about persistence, peace, sacrifice, and cooperation without being preachy.
April 22, 2023
An interesting picture book of interest to middle schoolers through adults who like flower gardening and gardening in general. I also would pair this titles of historical fiction and nonfiction about WWII as the peace rose was invented during that time period in France. I enjoyed this title more than I thought I would.
September 6, 2022
Beautifully illustrated picute book biography about the creation of a hybrid rose in Europe during WWII. Informative and moving. While there are many picture books that take place during WWII, this one has a unique twist, showing gardeners from different countries working together.
August 2, 2023
Beautiful illustrations and beautiful story of the Francis Meilland family of Southern France who developed a beautiful new variety of rose that spread through the world. Known by many names, the rose smells as sweet.
December 27, 2023
I really appreciated the emphasis on persistence, trying different cross-pollinations, and keeping track of the experiments.
The watercolors felt really appropriate for all the flowers & for a historical book.
The watercolors felt really appropriate for all the flowers & for a historical book.
June 27, 2022
This is a beautiful story about the creation of a rose named "Peace". I loved reading about how it came to be and also the fact that there is a link to where you can still buy this rose today!
September 9, 2022
An exquisite and moving story that had me tearing up at the end! Gorgeous illustrations, too!
October 7, 2022
Lovely illustrations. I hope this book is recognized coming this winter with ALA.
October 11, 2022
A lovely look at the impact one man can have on the world, unique story from WWII, illustrations support the text.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews