Gardens are special places — spiritual places — because they engage our senses, evoke our sense of wonder, bath us in beauty, and connect us to a wider nonhuman world. A garden can be a place of play and of transformation. It is a setting where we can celebrate both the Mystery and our own larger being.
These messages abound in this children's picture book, as well as in the author's previous book I Love Dirt! 52 Activities to Help You and Your Kids Discover the Wonders of Nature. This new book is handy and practical; it has been designed for children from 3 to 9 years of age.
Ward provides a well-organized overview of gardening with material on seeds of all shapes and sizes that can flourish later on as flowers, fruits, and vegetables. For example, if you have "soft, hairy on the prairie" seeds, what will grow? Milkweed. A "beige bead chunky seed" turns into a radish. There is also material on trees and the role of the seasons in the growing process.
Susie Grahremani's illustrations beautifully amplify the text. Four gatefolds add more delights and surprises to the book. A special section near the end contains practical materials on seeds and the stages of plant growth.
