Marvelous wonders await in this extraordinary garden book. From season to season, children follow the life of a garden as each page reveals new treasures hiding under lift-up flaps. Peek inside the curious tulip bulb and discover the peas inside a peapod. Watch a ladybug help with pesky aphids and search for ripe strawberries under the leaves. Rich in detail, Emma Giuliani's bright, immersive illustrations and flaps in fantastic shapes, sizes, and colors carry the reader into the enchanted world of gardening. Discovering different facets of the garden---fauna, flora, and the work necessary to help it grow and thrive---will delight gardeners of all ages.
Editorial Reviews
Kirkus Reviews (Starred)
A graphic artist's view of a small, mixed garden's seasonal round, enhanced by flaps, inside views, and cut-paper flowers. In Giuliani's composed, quietly harmonious scenes, young Plum and her little brother Robin--both depicted as solid black silhouettes--tidy up their patch after its winter sleep, then at proper times sow seeds, repot plants that wintered over in the greenhouse, water and nurture seedlings, set up poles for beans and stakes for tomatoes, then at last, in autumn, gather ripe fruits and veggies before putting the garden back to bed... Elegantly illustrated, oversized album to fuel winter dreams and schemes. Visually and conceptually idyllic.
Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
Using a multitude of flaps that promote interactivity and lend an intimate sense of discovery to the text, Giuliani offers facts about flora and fauna phrased in accessible and scientific terms: in 'Spring' a magenta bean's 'seed coat or integument' folds back to reveal a 'plumule or bud,' while an adjacent flap discusses dormancy and germination. One by one, other flaps (shaped like a winter squash, a ground cherry) reveal the kind of glad surprises that a garden can provide; together, the contemplative text offers a growing season\uc0\u237 s worth of activities and cares.
