Book Descriptions
for Stella & Marigold by Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
At four years old, Marigold still has a lot to learn about the way the world works. Fortunately her older sister, seven-year-old Stella, takes her job very seriously. “I’m going to tell you all the secret things I know,” Stella whispered into newborn Marigold’s ear the first time they met. And so she does, in her kind and clever way. When the plumber removes a hairclip from their clogged drain, everyone knows that Marigold put it there. After their mother scolds Marigold, though, Stella casually explains to Marigold that the objects in the bathroom come alive and walk around each night; obviously, the hairclip fell in during a nighttime excursion. Each chapter presents a different learning opportunity or bonding moment for the white sisters. Embarrassed to have gotten lost in a viewing tunnel at the zoo, Marigold is reassured by Stella’s story about the time the Vice President got lost in their city. When Marigold fibs to her classmates about living in Japan, Stella pretend-travels with her to Japan that evening. The sisters delight in imaginary play that creates a sense of closeness and a special world that only they share. Colorful illustrations add even more sweetness and humor to an appealing sibling story steeped in child sensibilities.
CCBC Choices 2025. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin – Madison, 2025. Used with permission.
From the Publisher
A USA Today and National Indie Bestseller!
From the creators of the New York Times–bestselling Ivy + Bean comes a fun and funny new series about two small sisters with very big imaginations.
★ — “Readers will long for a sibling like Marigold or Stella.” — Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
★ — “All the heart. None of the pablum. Sisterhood at its finest and freshest.” — Kirkus, Starred Review
Generations of readers have fallen in love with Ivy + Bean, which has sold over 8 million copies and been adapted into a popular Netflix Original Film series. Now, bestselling author Annie Barrows and illustrator Sophie Blackall are back with the first book in a bright new series about a pair of sisters named Stella and Marigold.
Stella, who’s seven, is kind, a good storyteller, and ponders big questions like, what do animals think of people? Marigold, at four, tells imaginative stories (her mother calls them “fibs”) and likes to wear her favorite Halloween costume year-round. Stella and Marigold do all the regular things—like going to school, playing, getting sick sometimes, and visiting the zoo—but even the most regular things have a secret side.
Sure to delight fans of Ivy and Bean, these adventure tales—animated with full-color illustrations of the sisters’ encounters with magical bathrooms, snow monkeys, dream lions, howling wolves, a lost Vice President, and much more—are filled with vibrant characters, creative storytelling, and a whole lot of laughs.
BELOVED CHILDREN’S BOOK CREATORS: Annie Barrows is the author of numerous award-winning and New York Times–bestselling books for children and adults, including The Magic Half, The Best of Iggy Series, and The Truth According to Us. Sophie Blackall is an award-winning illustrator of over 50 books for children, including the 2016 Caldecott Medal winner Finding Winnie and the 2019 Caldecott Medal winner Hello Lighthouse, which she also wrote.
CLASSIC / CONTEMPORARY CHARACTERS: No one creates universal yet unique characters the way Annie and Sophie do. Their distinctive combination of stories and art centered on family connection, empathy, and understanding appeal to adults, who find them lovely, and kids, who find them relatable (and laugh-out-loud funny!).
GREAT FOR NEWLY INDEPENDENT READERS: With lots of adventure, a dynamic relationship that captures an enormous range of emotions, and colorful pictures that bring the text to life, this series is perfect for emerging readers.
STRONG SIBLING RELATIONSHIP: The warm, loving relationship between Stella and Marigold is at the heart of this book. Parents looking for a positive depiction of the ups and downs of sisterhood will love this series.
Perfect for:
From the creators of the New York Times–bestselling Ivy + Bean comes a fun and funny new series about two small sisters with very big imaginations.
★ — “Readers will long for a sibling like Marigold or Stella.” — Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
★ — “All the heart. None of the pablum. Sisterhood at its finest and freshest.” — Kirkus, Starred Review
Generations of readers have fallen in love with Ivy + Bean, which has sold over 8 million copies and been adapted into a popular Netflix Original Film series. Now, bestselling author Annie Barrows and illustrator Sophie Blackall are back with the first book in a bright new series about a pair of sisters named Stella and Marigold.
Stella, who’s seven, is kind, a good storyteller, and ponders big questions like, what do animals think of people? Marigold, at four, tells imaginative stories (her mother calls them “fibs”) and likes to wear her favorite Halloween costume year-round. Stella and Marigold do all the regular things—like going to school, playing, getting sick sometimes, and visiting the zoo—but even the most regular things have a secret side.
Sure to delight fans of Ivy and Bean, these adventure tales—animated with full-color illustrations of the sisters’ encounters with magical bathrooms, snow monkeys, dream lions, howling wolves, a lost Vice President, and much more—are filled with vibrant characters, creative storytelling, and a whole lot of laughs.
BELOVED CHILDREN’S BOOK CREATORS: Annie Barrows is the author of numerous award-winning and New York Times–bestselling books for children and adults, including The Magic Half, The Best of Iggy Series, and The Truth According to Us. Sophie Blackall is an award-winning illustrator of over 50 books for children, including the 2016 Caldecott Medal winner Finding Winnie and the 2019 Caldecott Medal winner Hello Lighthouse, which she also wrote.
CLASSIC / CONTEMPORARY CHARACTERS: No one creates universal yet unique characters the way Annie and Sophie do. Their distinctive combination of stories and art centered on family connection, empathy, and understanding appeal to adults, who find them lovely, and kids, who find them relatable (and laugh-out-loud funny!).
GREAT FOR NEWLY INDEPENDENT READERS: With lots of adventure, a dynamic relationship that captures an enormous range of emotions, and colorful pictures that bring the text to life, this series is perfect for emerging readers.
STRONG SIBLING RELATIONSHIP: The warm, loving relationship between Stella and Marigold is at the heart of this book. Parents looking for a positive depiction of the ups and downs of sisterhood will love this series.
Perfect for:
- Independent readers age 6-9
- Parents, teachers, and librarians seeking entertaining elementary school chapter books
- Gift-givers looking for an early readers series for kids who enjoy stories full of humor and heart
- Readers who love such bestselling book series as Ivy + Bean, Junie B. Jones, Beezus and Ramona, Dory Fantasmagory, and Princess in Black
Publisher description retrieved from Google Books.
