A young girl named Marisol plants a single seed in the Garden of Happiness,

a small community garden in her city.

She waters it daily, and it grows and grows.

Marisol is curious about her plant.

What kind of plant is it?

Meanwhile, a group of teenagers wants to paint a mural nearby.

They aren't sure what to paint.

One morning, Marisol saw an amazing  sight from halfway down the block.

She ran the rest of the way.

Standing higher than all the plants and vines in the garden

was a flower as big as a plate!

Her bud had turned into petals of yellow and gold.

"A sunflower!" Mrs. Anderson exclaimed as she pushed her shopping cart by.

"Reminds me of when I was a girl."

The flower was a glowing circle,

brighter than a yellow taxi.

A flower of sunshine, Marisol thought,

the happiest plant in the Garden of Happiness.

All summer long, it made the people  on the street stop and smile.

Soon the air became cool and crisp with autumn.

Mr. Castro picked the last of his tomatoes.

Mr. Singh carried away a basket full of beans.

Mrs. Willie Mae Washington dug up orange potatoes.

"I can almost smell my sweet potato pie."

She winked at Marisol.

"I'm gonna save an extra big slice for a good little gardener I know.

" But something terrible was happening to Marisol's flower.

Its leaves were turning brown and dry.

"My flower of sunshine is sick," Marisol cried.

"What should I do?"

"Oh, child," Mrs. Willie Mae Washington said.

"Its season is over. There's a time to bloom and a time to die."

"No! I don't want my flower to die!"

"Mi cariño, don't cry," Mrs. Rodriguez said.

"That's the way of a garden. You must save the seeds and  plant again next spring. "

Marisol was too sad to go to the empty lot anymore.

For a whole week, she couldn't even look down the block where her beautiful flower used to be.

Then one day, she heard people calling her name.

"Marisol! Come quick!" "Marisol! ¡Apúrate! Hurry!”

A golden haze shone on the street.

There was a big crowd, like on a holiday.

Music from the bodega was loud and bright.

And what she saw made Marisol laugh and dance and clap her hands.