The Curious Garden
By Peter Brown
Little, Brown, 2009. Picture book. Unpaged.
Here's a wonderful book about nature and it's will to survive and even flourish. Writing without a hint of "save the earth" preachiness, Brown gives us the simple story about Liam, a boy who happens upon a few plants growing within a city that lacks any kind of greenery. Liam realizes that all that is needed is a gardener. He takes on the role and, slowly, the garden grows. It doesn't happen by magic, though. I appreciated the realistic parts of the story that show the "tough little weeds and mosses" leading the way, Liam educating himself about gardening, and the length of time a full garden requires to grow up and out. Liam actually grows up during the book and continues his green thumb ways as an adult.
The delightful illustrations remind me of Virginia Lee Burton's The Little House (it's a compliment, Peter). There's a lot to look at on every page with much of the story told in pictures, not the text. My favorite picture is the one of Liam incognito (that's all I'm telling you. You have to go get the book and find it).
I give The Curious Garden a high recommend.
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