OPEN

A lively conversation between an unnamed, unseen narrator and a seed.

The two voices are distinguished through the use of upright type for the narrator and italics for the seed. Children with varying skin tones and hairstyles eventually make their appearance as caretakers for their underground charges. The roughness of the paper is revealed through the watercolor and pastel images, lending a soft, fuzzy texture to the illustrations. Many of the garden compositions are split so that a cross-section at the bottom displays a range of seeds, while the young gardeners above wait and water against sun-drenched, soft-hued backgrounds. Listeners will learn that success in a garden involves soil, sun, water, and time. Adults and older kids will understand that the words could apply to seeds or children: “Every seed has a purpose. / And every seed is different.” And “growing is hard.” Pacing and close-ups are employed effectively. A particularly lovely scene homes in on five distinct, excited faces gazing at the emerging seedling. The tight zoom on the opening flower forces its petals beyond the page. As the exuberant children prance through full-grown blooms, the matured seed has the last word: “Yes, how beautiful we all are.” The dialogic text could easily serve as the script for a staged interpretation.

A joyous celebration of gardens—and the people who make them possible.