An often lively take on what children may accomplish with a garden.
An earnest book about gardening that aims to teach children and adults alike how to grow food organically.
Fresh from their win in a vegetable-growing contest in Venetta’s first book, Show Me the Green! (2015), Lexi and Jason Williams become evangelists for gardening at their school, Beacon Academy. They’re eager to spread the word about organic planting techniques after their school principal puts them in charge of a contest that could win them grant money. The plot is similar to that of the previous book, but Venetta weaves in enough new information to give this one a fresh feel. When a child discovers a hornworm threatening the tomatoes, Jason explains that they need to get rid of the pest before it devours everything. Realizing that the younger children will be horrified if he kills the worm, Jason and his friend hatch a plan to keep it in a classroom. As Lexi and Jason fret about whether they’ll win the contest money, they come up with a plan to sell seeds to cover the cost of next year’s garden in case another school beats them. They also decide to teach local people how to grow their own food. He and his sister repeatedly devise such clever solutions, and some readers may wish that they were a little less perfect. Indeed, it would all feel cloying if not for the fact that community gardens have indeed become sources of food in many cities. Aided by Motz’s lively illustrations, Venetta moves the story along deftly, which makes her occasional strange phrasing jarring, as when she describes one of Lexi’s bouts of anxiety: “Nerves skirted through her pulse.” The author is stronger when she describes the garden itself: “Corn stalks were tall and thick and looked like a wall of floppy green leaves...squash plants were sturdy and full, their wide leaves shading the pale yellow fruits beneath.”
An often lively take on what children may accomplish with a garden.Pub Date: April 26, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-9964391-8-3
Page Count: 294
Publisher: BloominThyme Press
Review Posted Online: July 18, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
The seemingly ageless Seeger brings back his renowned giant for another go in a tuneful tale that, like the art, is a bit sketchy, but chockful of worthy messages. Faced with yearly floods and droughts since they’ve cut down all their trees, the townsfolk decide to build a dam—but the project is stymied by a boulder that is too huge to move. Call on Abiyoyo, suggests the granddaughter of the man with the magic wand, then just “Zoop Zoop” him away again. But the rock that Abiyoyo obligingly flings aside smashes the wand. How to avoid Abiyoyo’s destruction now? Sing the monster to sleep, then make it a peaceful, tree-planting member of the community, of course. Seeger sums it up in a postscript: “every community must learn to manage its giants.” Hays, who illustrated the original (1986), creates colorful, if unfinished-looking, scenes featuring a notably multicultural human cast and a towering Cubist fantasy of a giant. The song, based on a Xhosa lullaby, still has that hard-to-resist sing-along potential, and the themes of waging peace, collective action, and the benefits of sound ecological practices are presented in ways that children will both appreciate and enjoy. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-83271-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2001
More gift book than storybook, this is a meaningful addition to nursery bookshelves
A young child explores the unlimited potential inherent in all humans.
“Have you ever wondered why you are here?” asks the second-person narration. There is no one like you. Maybe you’re here to make a difference with your uniqueness; maybe you will speak for those who can’t or use your gifts to shine a light into the darkness. The no-frills, unrhymed narrative encourages readers to follow their hearts and tap into their limitless potential to be anything and do anything. The precisely inked and colored artwork plays with perspective from the first double-page spread, in which the child contemplates a mountain (or maybe an iceberg) in their hands. Later, they stand on a ladder to place white spots on tall, red mushrooms. The oversized flora and fauna seem to symbolize the presumptively insurmountable, reinforcing the book’s message that anything is possible. This quiet read, with its sophisticated central question, encourages children to reach for their untapped potential while reminding them it won’t be easy—they will make messes and mistakes—but the magic within can help overcome falls and failures. It’s unlikely that members of the intended audience have begun to wonder about their life’s purpose, but this life-affirming mood piece has honorable intentions. The child, accompanied by an adorable piglet and sporting overalls and a bird-beaked cap made of leaves, presents white.
More gift book than storybook, this is a meaningful addition to nursery bookshelves . (Picture book. 2-8)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-946873-75-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: May 21, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2019
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