Bestselling children's book author Douglas Wood uses his childhood experiences, sharing what he learned about the bonds that connect us across the generations. As a young and curious boy, he is in his Aunt Mary's backyard, looking at a beautiful and full rosebush. "Take care of this rose, Douglas," Aunt Mary had said, "And one day there will be a little bit of you inside it. And a little bit of the rose inside you." After a week of taking care of the plant, he wonders why he has not been able to see any of himself in it. Aunt Mary tells him that he's not the only one in the rosebush. She shares her experiences and those of Douglas's grandfather, father, and uncle as they cared for the same plant and reaped the rewards of long looking and soulful contemplation.
Aunt Mary's Rose is just the right resource for children 4–8 years of age. This family story is nicely illustrated by LeUyen Pham, who catches the cross-generational nature of the rosebush as a thing of beauty containing all who cared for it over the years. Zen master and poet Thich Nhat Hanh uses the term "interbeing" to express this dynamic in our lives.
