Picture Book Review: Garden Books

Just a few garden books, also great for the garden theme for Summer Reading

A dandelion isn't sure what she could be.

This book goes through the growth of the flower and how to changes over time. There is also an end page that shares information about dandelions. The illustrations are cheerful.

This book follows the life of a seed what it needs to grow and flourish. 

I love how this book shows the steps of flowers and acknowledges that it's hard to wait. I love the message that every seed is beautiful and different. 

Not technically a gardening book, but this one is about the sun. The squirrel is pretty certain that someone is stealing the sun, but bird explains that the sun goes to bed and gets up at different times during the year. 

This is part of a series of picture books. Squirrel and Bird are a great pair, I love them. There are end pages that share information about light and dark and seasons. 

Picture Book Wednesday: Happy Earth Day

Just a few nature books for Earth Day!

It isn't always easy to tell when Spring is here to stay. There are lots of tricky moments when it feels like the weather has changed, but it changes back. This is a great example of those hard to tell moments.

Folks working in the community garden shares knowledge on how to grow plants. There's a lot of plants shared in this book. I love how this book ends in a community feast. The illustrations are colorful and cheerful. The characters are diverse.  There's an end page that shares more about the plants talked about in this book. 

Grace's teacher gave her the book The Secret Garden not knowing it would change her world. Grace became interested in gardening. She became an activist, but she never forgot about gardening. Years later, in Detroit, she started a garden in vacant lots. She created something magical with the help of the community and several youth volunteers. 

How are you celebrating Earth Day?

Picture Book Review: Garden Books

Just a few books about flowers and gardens:

A mom and her child are off to the nursery; they need supplies for their garden. What will they find? And how will it come out?

There is a lot of information in this book and a lot of text. The text is broken up by lots of colorful illustrations. Gardening tips and tricks are hidden within the text. Caution: this book might make you want to start up a garden. 

There's a piece of land that belongs to no one. Mara decides to plant some sunflower seeds. She plants them and tends to them. She waits patiently for them to sprout.

This is a lovely story about patience and gardening and things not working out as planned. I loved how the garden turned out and seeing how the garden changed. Another great story for PLANT A SEED summer theme. 

Willadeen's farm is in the middle of nowhere - just the way she likes it. Until someone tries to buy it from her. She isn't interested in selling and a city grows up around her. But now she's part of the city.

This is a story about community and determination. Willadeen doesn't give in to pressure about selling when a man tries to take her land. She carries on doing what she loves. 

While this one isn't a story, it is about gardening in a picture book format. There are 15 different projects that they can try to grow.

I love how some of the items you can grow from the product itself and you can use recycled materials. The instructions are easy to follow and cutely illustrated. 

Booklist: Adult Flower Books

 

Yesterday, I shared a Flower/Garden/Farm cozy booklist and today I'm sharing fiction books in the same vein. 

These adult books are perfect for summer reading

Flower/Garden Fiction

Booklist: Garden and Flower Cozies

 

I haven't done adult summer reading ideas before, but I read a bunch of cozies featuring gardens and flowers and thought I'd share them.

As it's spring, it's lovely to think about flowers and gardens again after that brutally cold winter.

Garden and Flower Cozies:

Happy Reading!

Plant a Seed: Teen Summer Reading (3)

This is the final post for SUMMER READING ideas. 

Previously I shared flower crafts and nature crafts

This week is all about the books.

Middle Grade Books:

Teen Books:

Hope you enjoyed this series and that it was useful to you.

Picture Book Wednesday: Garden Books

Here are a few books about gardens:

Did you know that worms can cook? Well, maybe not, but they can help make a wonderful sandwich.

The worm shares all that he does for the garden - him and other creatures. The book is funny and sweet.

Izzy's new neighbor is all about his roses, he turns his nose up at all the other flowers. Izzy doesn't mind; she shares them with everyone else. But she would love to make her neighbor happy. 

I love how much Izzy knows about flowers and gardening. I love that she shares her flowers with everyone else, bringing everyone else joy.

This is a fun twist on the classic song.

I love how each vegetable is different. It's a charming story that begs to be read aloud.

One girl's grandfather and mother tell her a secret - every little seed has a secret. The seasons change and so does the garden. But there's still hope for the garden even in the darkest days of winter.

This is a lovely story that makes me want to learn much more about gardening. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Spring Covers

 This week's topic is all about Spring covers: gardens, flowers, and more.

Read:

Want to read:

Have you read of these?

Picture Book Wednesday: Saturdays at Harlem Grown

* sequel to Harlem Grown

**Book sent for review

Mr. Tony and Nevaeh built a garden in an abandoned lot. Now that Spring has arrived again, it's time to get to work - but they need some help. They put up a sign asking for help. The neighborhood shows up. There's so much to do, but it's nice doing it together.

I really enjoyed this book. It talks about gardening steps but also the importance of being patient (which is hard.) Of course, I love the library part. I love how everyone came together to help and to celebrate. What a wonderful book about the power of community. 

This book also has an afterwards with how to create a community garden and a recipe for soup.

A must have book for school and public libraries! 

 

Picture Book Wednesday: We Found a Seed

Two friends find a seed. At first, they are not sure how to make it grow, but eventually, they figure it out! 

A cute book about how to grow a seed and being patient. The flower grows and died, leaving behind more seeds. Bright illustrations accompany this story. 

Picture Book Wednesday: Love Makes a Garden Grow

A beautiful story about family, flowers, and love. I love how this little girl ties the memory of her grandfather's flowers to love - when they are apart AND when they are together. The illustrations are lovely. 

This one made me miss my grandmother, who also loved flowers. It will make you hug your loved ones close. 

* Book sent for review

 

Review: Last Garden in England

 

Emma can't wait to restore the gardens of Highbury House. They've long been neglected. She's particularly thrilled because they were designed by Venetia Smith at the turn of the century. Venetia Smith moved to American shortly after designing this garden. Emma can't believe her good fortune to work on the gardens of her idol. She loves learning how they changed over the years, especially with World War Two. She's happy when the new owners discover old documents in the attic that detail the plans further. But there are also secrets hidden - with both Venetia's past and the owner's in WII. Can Emma make sense of the past and use the knowledge to create happiness for herself?

My Thoughts: Told in three different time periods with three very different women - this book centers around a garden and the people who loved it. I loved reading in the different time periods - this book was fascinating. It's hard to pick which time period I liked more. All three women struggled with both their personal life and the garden. I loved how the garden connected everything. I really enjoyed watching the secret unfold as we discovered more and more about these women. This was a fascinating read that made me wish I knew more about gardening. 

Cover Thoughts: Gorgeous. It drew me to read it.

Library Recommendation: A great book for the collection - and even better for book discussion. Highly Recommended.