Home - Little Flower Dolls

LITTLE FLOWER DOLL CREATOR

Dr. Florita Bell Griffin, Author and Creative Director of the Little Flower® brand and Little Flower Literacy Project, created the Little Flower Doll. Florita received the 2016 Zora Neale Hurston Award from the American Library Association’s Reference and User Services Association (RUSA). The award recognized the Little Flower Literacy Project’s contribution to African American literature.

The 18-inch Little Flower Doll has a huggable red cloth body, brown eyes that open and close with lighter-colored eyelids, semi-curled black hair that can be styled, and a movable head and limbs. Her limbs are made of phthalate-free smooth vinyl, and she has a lovely brown skin tone. The signature “Little Flower” is imprinted on the back of her neck, just below her hairline. Little Flower has the same body type (height and dimensions) as the American Girl Doll and can wear the same size and style of clothing.

The Little Flower Doll arrives wearing a red dress trimmed in white ric rac with a detached red cloth belt tie, white ribbons and yellow flower, pink cotton underwear with a red bow, white socks, and black patent leather shoes.

The color red was chosen for the Little Flower Doll’s body to honor all of the bloodshed that occurred during America’s Civil Rights Movement.

LITTLE FLOWER DOLL UNVEIL

LITTLE FLOWER DOLL UNBOXING REVIEW
AND NEW OWNER REACTIONS
(submitted by parents)

LITTLE FLOWER DOLL INSPIRATION

The Little Flower Doll® was inspired by the acrylic on canvas painting (1993) of Florita Lenise Bell, age 9. (below) by artist Frederick G. Ford, Ph.D.

The painting was a doctoral graduation gift to Florita from Fred.

The original photograph, taken in North Carolina, was juxtaposed against a 1960’s Texas backdrop by the artist.

ABOUT US

Greetings,

I am Richard W. Griffin, Ph.D., P.G., President of ARC Communications, LLC. of Texas, the parent company of Little Flower®. I am also a professional geoscientist and a tenured professor at Prairie View A&M University. While my days are and have been spent working with undergraduate and graduate students for over thirty years, my spare time is spent looking for novel ways to expose youth to science and technology at an early age. I became aware of this need in 1993, while administering a grant financed by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC), which is now known as the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). My wife, who is an urban and regional scientist, and I were awarded a $184,000 grant to create, launch, and direct the SEEP (Studies in Environmental Education Program), a two-year structured but hands-on weekend program for local pre-teens. The program was a huge success, providing participants with life-changing experiences as a result of a wealth of scientific exposure. Many former SEEP students have gone on to have thriving careers in science.

ARC Communications, LLC was established in 2010 as a creative outlet for the development of educational technologies that incorporate storytelling, animation, STEAAM (science, technology, engineering, agriculture, art, and math) edutainment (education and entertainment), publishing, and other artistic mediums. Over the years, we’ve assembled a diverse team that contributes the artistic talent as well as the professional and legal expertise required to bring ARC projects to life, with the ultimate goal of motivating people of all ages to learn while having fun.

We’re excited about the ambitious projects we’ve taken on at ARC Communications, and we appreciate your visit to the Little Flower Dolls® website. Please look around and get in touch with us at arccommunications@arc-culturalart.com to discuss licensing, partnerships, or any other aspect of our work.

Greetings,

I am Florita Bell Griffin, M.U.P., Ph.D., Author and Creative Director of Little Flower®. My life is a positive reflection of injustice, intolerance, and inequity. As a result, the Little Flower Different Deserves Special Club (250 page chapter book) is a parody of my childhood in the Jim Crow South as the African American daughter of an elementary school teacher and a Baptist pastor. In adulthood, I have become a Ph.D. holder, the spouse of a tenured university professor/professional geoscientist, a tireless advocate for equity for all, and a former member of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs Board of Directors, appointed by then Governor George W. Bush.

My life’s work has been to teach people of all socioeconomic backgrounds about the power of overcoming inequities, the joy of inclusion, and the impact of literacy on inclusiveness and diversity.

As an urban and regional scientist, a former city planner and low income housing advocate, and a political person of color wrongfully imprisoned in the criminal justice system, I am all too aware of the significance of initiatives that promote student identification, student empowerment, and literacy work. My life’s journey has given me the opportunity to listen to and frequently participate in a diverse range of conversations with diverse people. As a result, I’ve gained many insights that support the significance of the Little Flower initiative.

LITTLE FLOWER BRAND INSPIRATION

The Little Flower brand is a part of ARC’s vision to create multi-cultural edutainment franchises based on the company’s Commissioned Children of the World Art Doll Collection.

Little Flower, also known as the Little Flower Literacy Project, is the first of the Children of the World Art Doll character stories to be developed. The Little Flower® brand was launched in 2015.

When ARC commissioned Jack Johnston, an internationally renowned art doll master sculptor from Utah, to create the Children of the World Art Doll Series in 2013, he succeeded admirably. From polymer clay, Mr. Johnston meticulously hand-sculpted:

Mayu of Japan;
Binafrikeus of Tanzania;
Linnealis of Sweden;
Tolafara of Cambodia;
Fidelarica of Puerto Rico; and
Little Flower of the United States.

The six eighteen-inch one-of-a-kind art doll images, strolling below the Little Flower Art Doll, represent a unique catalog of future projects as ARC continues to work toward its edutainment goal.

Children of the World Art Dolls

THE LITTLE FLOWER
KICKOFF BOOKSIGNING
sponsored THE HOLLA! 5K RUN

LITTLE FLOWER "CHANGE THE WORLD" SOUNDTRACK

THE LITTLE FLOWER EDUCATIONAL SERIES
INTRODUCTION

Little Flower is a 10-year-old artist whose great power is the ability to draw things that come to life. Little Flower is different and is compelled to defend others who are different. In fact, she has been known to be overly ambitious in her defense of others at times, which has landed her in hot water. Little Flower always wears a red dress with a large yellow flower in her hair. She began painting flowers at a young age after receiving a book about flowers and their meanings from her mother. The flowers she drew had meanings that corresponded to the important events of her young life.

The “flower” theme as well as the idea of Little Flower as an artist were influenced in part by Victorian artist Kate Greenaway and her 19th-century picture book “The Language of Flowers.” From a nostalgic standpoint, Greenaway drew incidents from everyday life in the Regency era. The book, The Language of Flowers, not only captures Greenaway’s beautiful artwork but also gives the Victorian meanings of more than 200 plants.

“The Different Deserves Special Club,” a 250-page chapter book illustrated with animated drawing videos, tells Little Flower’s story. The story weaves together a variety of themes, ranging from science and math and the Civil Rights.

All of the flowers in the Little Flower story have symbolic meanings. The three videos below from the book show the Almond Flower, Black Poplar Flower, and Mugwort Flower, whose meanings are hope, courage, and happiness. The flower interpretations, taken from Greenaway’s book, correspond with Little Flower’s personal experiences.

Play Video

The Different Deserves Special Club Book:

The Little Flower Different Deserves Special Club book is a unique repertoire of the cultural and historical experiences of a young girl growing up in the segregated south amidst the turmoil of the Civil Rights Era. The heroine, Little Flower, finds herself navigating the maze of life recognizing inequity and leading the fight for change while dealing with the struggles of young pre-teens. Issues of equality, equity, diversity, and inclusion are explored from a real-world perspective.

The Different Deserves Special Club Reader Response Journal:

The Reader Response Journal is a repository for the collection of thoughts and perspectives of the reader of “The Little Flower Deserves Special Club.” The Reader Response Journal provides an opportunity for students to make connections to their reading of the text and urges them to question, analyze, relate, respond and interpret information in order to gain a better understanding of the text.

The Different Deserves Special Club Curriculum Development Guide:

The Curriculum Development Guide encompasses fully developed instructional English/Language Arts units of lesson plans, formative and summative assessments, and instructional activities aligned to the WIDA English Language Learner Standards, American School Counselor Association Mindsets and Behaviors for Student Success, Society of Health and Physical Education Health Standards, and Common Core English Language Arts Standards. Each lesson provides educators and facilitators with practical activities to facilitate instruction aligned to the curriculum standards using The Different Deserves Special Club book. The lesson plans are differentiated to provide enrichment for advanced learners as well as remediation for students who may need additional reinforcement. The Curriculum Development Guide is designed to be a one-stop resource providing comprehensive instructional activities, materials, assessments, and rubrics for educators and organizations looking to improve student literacy with rigor, relevance, relationships, and reflections.

The Little Flower Education Team:

*Richard W. Griffin, Ph.D., P.G.

*Florita Bell Griffin, M.U.P., Ph.D.

*Asa L. Bell, Jr.,JD., MBA, MA

*Ebony Griffin, M.S.

*Leon Gatewood and HOLLA! Community Development Corp.

*Karen Tripp, JD.

*Barrye L. Price, Ph.D., Major General US Army (retd.)

*Takeda LeGrand, Ed.D., EJD

*C. Michael Riles, M.ED, M.S. Ed.D.

*Deidra Murphy Steed, M.ED., NBCT

LITTLE FLOWER IS VERSATILE

AUDIO

"The Little Flower Different Deserves Special Club"

Section One:
"Where Little Flower Got Her Power"

Chapters 1-6 Audio

Play Video

Little Flower's Dream World
in Minecraft

LITTLE FLOWER IN ACTION

Little Flower has added value to classrooms, after-school programs, sorority youth camps, church youth camps, summer camps, winter literacy camps, and after-school programs. Little Flower is suitable for any audience.

ARC COMMUNICATIONS PUBLISHING IMPRINT

The Little Flower Vignettes – Story Behind The Story Buy On Amazon
The Different Deserves Special Club Book Buy On Amazon
The Different Deserves Special Club Reader Response Journal Buy On Amazon
The Different Deserves Special ClubCurriculum Development Guide Buy On Amazon
Breathe and Believe…You Can Be Anything Buy On Amazon
Life..On The Other Side of You Buy On Amazon
Homeland Defense: Civil Unrest and Federal Intervention Within The United States Of America Buy On Amazon
My Grandmother’s Faith: The Outcome of Unconditional Love Buy On Amazon
Where Little Flower Got Her Power (Portuguese) Buy On Amazon
Where Little Flower Got Her Power (Mandarin Chinese) Buy On Amazon
Where Little Flower Got Her Power (Spanish) Buy On Amazon
Where Little Flower Got Her Power (French) Buy On Amazon