Tag: gardening

Posted in Uncategorized

Tales from the TBR: How Not to Kill Your Plant

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

How Not to Kill Your Plant, by Magda Gargulakova & Lenka Chytilova/Illustrated by Hannah Abbo, (Dec. 2023, Albatros Media), $15.95, ISBN: 9788000069968

Ages 6-10

Kids love gardening programs. Remember in science, when you (or your kids) grew a sprout from a bean? Gardening is magic, and houseplants are pretty. How Not to Kill Your Plant is a kid-friendly, illustrated guide to caring for houseplants. Organized into areas like “The Basics of Care”, “Encyclopedia of Houseplants”, and “Cultivation Practice,” the book has everything kids need to get started on a new hobby and set them up for a lifetime of loving and caring for plants. The “Encyclopedia of Houseplants” section features detailed drawings on 16 popular houseplants that are great for beginners. Yes, I said beginners, because I’m using this book to take care of my plants, too. Kids’ books are the best way to learn things and develop a solid base understanding! There are troubleshooting suggestions and step-by-step instructions on plant care, including taking cuttings, propagating, and repotting. Helpful icons on the plant pages let readers know the basics at a glance: how much to water, how much sunlight, is it okay to have around pets? At only 56 pages, it’s not overwhelming for new plant hobbyists. I loved this book and think you will, too.

 

Posted in picture books, Toddler Reads

Color Our World with stories!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Are you thinking of Summer Reading yet? I am, because we’re working with the theme that the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) has for this year – Color Our World – and I’m enjoying the different books I can fit into this. We’ve got destination books; we have concepts; we have stories of people from all over the world. Naturally, I’ve got some new books that fit the bill. Let’s take a look!

Our World: Cuba, by Terry Catasús Jennings/Illustrated by Marla Cruz Linares, (Oct. 2024, Barefoot Books), $9.99, ISBN: 9798888592304

Ages 2-3

Any time I get a book from Terry Catasús Jennings, it’s a good time; pair that with Barefoot Books’ Our World board book series, and you can’t go wrong. The series is a hit here at my library, thanks to kid-friendly illustrations, a day in the life story, and vocabulary from different languages. Each author draws on their personal cultural experiences to communicate to their readers, which really makes this a unique series. Jennings invites readers to enjoy breakfast and a day full of activity at the park and the beach. Led by a young narrator, readers enjoy toast and café con leche at home; a ride to the beach on the guagua, and a game of los escondidos in the park. The child narrator spends a happy with parents, who are free with affection and a sense of play. Words in Spanish are also spelled phonetically on the page, allowing for easier pronounciation. Back matter provides deeper context to day-to-day life in Cuba. It’s an invitation to a day in Cuba, with warm illustrations and a joyful story. A great add to your board book collections – get some literary stamps in your passports with this book and this series.

 

Many Things at Once, by Veera Hiranandani/Illustrated by Nadia Alam, (Jan. 2025, Random House Studio), $18.99, ISBN: 9780593643907

Ages 4-8

A biracial girl reflects on her Jewish-Indian heritage, ruminating on her parents’ stories: her mother’s mother, a seamstress in Brooklyn, New York; her father’s mother cooking daal on a coal stove in India. The memories go deeper, exploring struggles on both sides of her family; her paternal grandparents separated during the Partition of India, and her maternal grandfather’s escape from the pogroms in Poland. Her families came to America for safety and a new beginning. Her parents tell her that she’s lucky to be “both Jewish and Hindu, to be part of many things at once”, but she sometimes feels neither “Jewish enough” or “Hindu enough” for her parents. Seeing a butterfly, the girl remembers a teacher telling her no two butterflies are the same, and she reflects on this and the roots anchoring the flowers from which the butterfly draws nectar. It all comes together: “I think of all the journeys I’m connected to and grow from”. Hiranandani tells an emotional story of struggle and love and the journey of self-discovery that biracial children travel, inspired by her own family background. An author’s note gives further texture. Pencil and digital illustrations show a diverse family and historical context: the girl views family photos from different decades and she imagines the struggles endured by her grandparents. Relating her cultural heritage to a butterfly will lift hearts. An excellent choice for collections.

 

I LOVE Blueberries!, by Shannon Anderson/Illustrated by Jaclyn Sinquett, (April 2025, Feeding Minds Press), $18.99, ISBN: 9781948898195

Ages 4-8

Jolie from I LOVE Strawberries! (2022) is back and this time, she has a friend! Jolie, who still loves growing strawberries, learned how to germinate blueberry seeds thanks to a local farmer. While showing her germinated seed and sprout in class, she meets new neighbor Margot, a homesick girl who’s just moved from Maine. The two hit it off – Margot’s love of blueberries is a delightful catalyst – and become interested in their teacher’s hydroponic gardening setup, which would let them grow blueberries even quicker. The teacher, who happens to be married to the friendly blueberry farmer, explains hydroponic gardening; the girls are inspired and proceed to hold a local blueberry festival and fundraiser to raise the necessary monies needed to invest in hydroponic equipment. I LOVE Blueberries! is a great story encompassing many areas that will interest readers: friendship, innovation and entrepreneurship, hydroponic gardening, and food farming. The way the community rallies around the two friends to support their ideas is gratifying and inspiring. The illustrations are filled with journals, as with I LOVE Strawberries: Jolie’s journals are joined by Margot’s this time, allowing us some insight into both characters in addition to illustrating the scientific method. Blue endpapers feature line illustrations of blueberries, and back matter includes a note on hydroponics, gardening, and blueberries as a superfood, A great choice for STEM/STEAM collections.

That’s a good start – what Summer Reading titles are you considering?

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

You’re Not Invited! A new garden adventure

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

You’re Not Invited! (An Ooey Gooeys Adventure), by Sylvia Rouss & David Titcher/Illustrations by Rick Penn Kraus, (Jan. 2025, Brandyland Publishers), $15.95, ISBN: 978-1962416672

Ages 3-7

There’s going to be a party in the garden, but Queen Bea doesn’t want any “ooey gooeys” at her party, leaving Shelly Snail, Willy Worm, and Speedy Centipede on the other side of the velvet rope. Things change, though, when a Bigfoot charges through their area wielding a giant monster, and the Ooeys are there to save Bea and the other garden denizens. They watch the seeming destruction of their home together, but realize that the human – you didn’t really think he was a Bigfoot, did you? – is actually creating a paradise: he’s planting beautiful flowers for them to enjoy! Rescheduling their party to enjoy the new digs, Bea invites the Ooey Gooeys to be part of the fun as the guests of honor. You’re Not Invited! is an upbeat story of friendship and acceptance; of a bully who realizes her mistake, and a maligned group that’s courageous and generous enough to forgive. Colorful illustrations show the garden bugs in close-up, cartoon detail; the Bigfoot is actually a human, and the monster is a lawn mower. Plenty of fun for readers, with positive messages about being a friend. I look forward to more life lessons with the Ooey Gooeys!

Visit Sylvia Rouss’s website for more about her books, including her awesome Sammy Spider series!

Posted in Early Reader, Fiction, picture books

A story to garden by: The Soil in Jackie’s Garden by Peggy Thomas & Neely Daggett

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Soil in Jackie’s Garden, by Peggy Thomas/Illustrated by Neely Daggett, (May 2024, Feeding Minds Press), $18.99, ISBN: 9781948898164

Ages 5-8

Jackie is a little girl who gets a group of friends together to garden and celebrate the fruits of their labor in this fun cumulative story that is loaded with fun, easily readable facts about gardening, composting, plant life cycles, and more. The group is inclusive and diverse, encouraging readers to see themselves doing the work in a community garden. The verses play with language, inviting readers to join in and squirm like a worm, smack their lips, and buzz like bees, while callout boxes on each spread expand on the verses with factual text: “These are the worms – squirrrm! / that stir the soil in Jackie’s garden” is accompanied by a fact box with two sentences about worms. Readers familiar with stories like The House That Jack Built will easily recognize the format, and new readers will love the familiarity of having repeat verses, giving them familiarity with the story. Back matter includes information on the soil cycle and how to make a compost pile. Create a great gardening display with Kalee Gwarjanski’s Miss MacDonald Has a Farm , Lois Ehlert’s Planting a Rainbow, and Anna McQuinn’s Lola Plants a Garden!

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

The Paw-sibilities are endless! This Little Kitty in the Garden

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

This Little Kitty in the Garden, by Karen Obuhanych, (Jan 2024, Knopf Books for Young Readers), $18.99, ISBN: 9780593435175

Ages 3-7

Obuhanych spins a delighful rhyming tale about cats and gardening. Endpapers bring readers in with dirty kitten paw prints over bright colored leaves; the verso and recto pages show a cheerful garden with a marmalade cat peeking up from the leaves. Five kittens are ready to “help” their people garden today, and immediately set to rummaging through the tools and starter plants. They play in the garden, sneezing at pollen and poking at various flora and fauna as their humans work around them. When everything has been planted and cleaned up, the exhausted helpers take a nap in the garden bed. Cat lovers will want multiple reads of this sweet and silly story. Mixed media illustration is bold, bright, and textured. A playful story that will make anyone reading it or listening to it happy.

This Little Kitty in the Garden is a companion to Obuhanych’s 2023 book, This Little Kitty. You can see more of Obuhanych’s artwork at her website.

 

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads, Uncategorized

Saving Delicia: A Story About Small Seeds and Big Dreams

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Saving Delicia: A Story About Small Seeds and Big Dreams, by Laura Gehl/Illustrated by Patricia Metola, (Apr. 2024, Flyaway Books), $19.00, ISBN: 9781947888449

Ages 3-7

Kari and her dog Cookie sit in the shade of a delicia tree, listening to Old Otis tell stories about his youth, when delicia trees grew in abundance and he would eat fruit after fruit, the juice running down his chin. Blight has killed off all but one tree, but Kari holds hope. She saves the seeds after she eats the fruit, and asks Otis if he thinks she could bring the trees back. Moved to action, Kari learns about freezing and preserving seeds; her friends join her, and they create “Kari and Otis’s Seed Bank”, delighting Otis. Sadly, Otis and the last delicia tree die shortly after, but the following year, scientists solve the blight problem and Kari puts her seed bank to use. An older Kari sits among a delicia orchard, sharing stories with the children who cannot believe there was a time when there was only one delicia tree. A moving story of empathy, environmental stewardship, and intergenerational friendship, Saving Delicia is an excellent choice for Spring storytimes, and if you have a seed library (like my library!) or a gardening program, this is a must read. A note from the author expands on the importance of seed banks and biodiversity. The colorful illustrations are cheery, filled with hope, and show the incredible beauty of the many seeds that give life to beautiful and necessary plants: “So many seeds that could grow into brilliant bouquets or towering forests”. An essential for picture book collections.

 

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads, Uncategorized

New Earth Day Reads!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Earth Day is right around the corner! There are some great new books to have ready for a great readaloud. Let’s take a look.

Miss MacDonald Has a Farm, by Kalee Gwarjanski/Illustrated by Elizabet Vuković, (March 2024, Doubleday Books for Young Readers), $18.99, ISBN: 9780593568163

Ages 3-7

It’s a new spin on an old favorite! Miss MacDonald has a farm, and she loves to grow her own food in this ode to farm-to-table food. Kids are going to love this easy-to-learn song, with repetitive phrases like “Miss MacDonald has a farm. / She loves things that grow” and “E-I-E-I-GROW”. Miss MacDonald grows all sorts of yummy food, like tomatoes and green beans, sweet corn and pumpkins, and she “shuck-shucks” and “thrish-thrashes” her way through her fields, planting and harvesting her wares to bring to a farmer’s market and feasting at a community table with a diverse group of neighbors. It’s a fun way to illustrate where our food comes from and how it gets to the table, with colorful and appealing illustrations that show a young female farmer of color growing and harvesting her food. Back matter includes vocabulary that explains the steps in getting food to grow from seed to table, and a recipe for a harvest vegetable bake included in the story. I sang this story to a pre-k class during a school visit this week, and they loved it! This is a great story for anyone who’s doing flannel storytimes, too – get those colorful sheets out and make yourself a vegetable garden.

Chicken Soup for the Soul KIDS: The Sunshine Garden: Being a Team Player, by Jamie Michalak/Illustrated by Jenna Nahyun Chung, (March 2024, Charlesbridge), $14.99, ISBN: 9781623542863

Ages 4-7

The Sunshine Squad returns in this sweet story about kindness, teamwork, and gardening. The Sunshine Squad are six friends who loves to pretend they’re superheroes, and do some pretty great everyday superhero stuff. Mia, one of the Squad, learns that her grandma’s friend, Mr. Angelo, is sick and unable to tend to his community garden and steps in to help… but it’s a much bigger task than she realized. The rest of the Sunshine Squad step in and use their “superpowers” to get the job done and save the day! It’s a sweet story about helping one another and being kind, while showing kids that kindness can be a superpower. Back matter includes tips on being part of a team, with suggestions that work nicely within an Earth Day setting. It’s a good additional add to picture book collections, especially where Chicken Soup for the Soul books do well.

 

 

You Are a Little Seed, by Sook-Hee Choi, Translated by Jieun Kiaer, (March 2024, Charlesbridge), $15.99, ISBN: 9781623544287

Ages 2-5

Originally published in Korean in 2013, this is a gentle story that reads like poetry, describing seven types of flowers that bloom from different types of seeds and became beautiful flowers: “A seed, a seed blowing / in the wind… / took root in / the wild and bloomed / as a dandelion”. Children show up in the flowers as seeds and fully bloomed, showing readers that we can bloom under all sorts of conditions. A soft color palette creates a soothing setting, and the flower illustrations are breathtaking. A wonderful metaphor for how we grow and our beauty in diversity. My only concern is a pssage that describes a seed as “ugly and wrinkled”, which reads more like the author is referring to the child as unsightly; I’m hoping it was more of a moment where the child may feel that way but blossoms into themselves? Other than that, You Are a Little Seed is lovely.

You Are a Little Seed has starred reviews from Kirkus and Foreword Reviews.

Posted in Early Reader, Fiction, picture books, Preschool Reads

Garrrrr! Pirate Pearl needs Potatoes!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Potatoes for Pirate Pearl, by Jennifer Concepcion/Illustrated by Chloe Burgett, (Sept. 2023, Feeding Minds Press), $18.99, ISBN: 9781948898157

Ages 4-8

Pirate Pearl and Petunia, her trusty parrot sidekick, sail the seas aboard the Jolly Oyster, but there’s a problem: all they have to eat is hardtack, and Pirate Pearl is sick of it! They make land and set off to find some better food, only to encounter Farmer Fay, who teaches Pearl all about potato farming. This informative, fun adventure uses pirate puns and bright, playful illustration to instruct learners on how to plant, grow, and harvest potatoes – and all the delicious ways to enjoy them. At the end of the day, Pearl and Petunia set sail, having made a new friend, and with a new food that’s just as easily grown on her ship as it is in Farmer Fay’s field. Back matter includes potato facts and recipes, with a heads-up from Pirate Pearl herself about having an adult help with any preparation and cooking. A charming and informative story for kids, and a great accompaniment to a STEAM or gardening program or lesson. Download a free activity kit from publisher Feeding Minds Press.

 

Posted in Fiction, Intermediate, Realistic Fiction

Tales from the TBR: Nina Soni: Master of the Garden

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Nina Soni, Master of the Garden, by Kashmina Sheth/Illustrated by Jenn Kocsmiersky, (Apr. 2021, Peachtree Publishing), $7.99, ISBN: 9781682632260

Ages 7-11

Join me in my never-ending quest to read down the TBR while I also keep up with up-and-coming kidlit! Today’s pick is the third book in the Nina Soni series: Master of the Garden. I love reading about Nina, her younger sister Kavita, and her best friend Jay. This time out, Nina, Kavita, and Jay learn how to plan out a garden, courtesy of Nina’s landscape architect Mom, for Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. They all love the idea of growing their own food, but Nina thinks bigger than that: she wants to grow so much that she can sell the extra vegetables and make money! The only thing she doesn’t plan for? The work it takes to make a garden successful: weeding, pest control, and harvesting, for starters. Kavita thinks that her singing will help the plants grow even bigger, but Nina’s not too sure about that – it’s driving her crazy! Sheth makes Nina very relatable and very likable, with a determination that underlies everything she does and an imagination that keeps moving her forward. Black and white illustrations and Nina’s famous checklists add context and interest. Nina and her family are Indian-American; each story is filled with cultural touches that provide texture to these rich, fun stories. A fun intermediate series that belongs on shelves.

Visit Kashmira Sheth’s webpage for a downloadable discussion guide to the series, and more information about the Nina Soni books.

Posted in picture books

Happy Book Birthday to I Love Strawberries!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I Love Strawberries!, by Shannon Anderson/Illustrated by Jaclyn Sinquett, (Apr. 2022, Feeding Minds Press), $17.99, ISBN: 9781948898065

Ages 4-8

Jo is a young girl who LOVES strawberries; so much, that she wants to grow her own. Can she convince her parents that’s she’s responsible enough for the task? Told through Jo’s journal entries and narration, this fun STEM story is perfect for springtime reading. Jo is an immediately likable and funny narrator who goes from adding red marker lines on her face in an attempt to look older in a flash to a thoughtful strawberry farmer who journals her process, from planting grass seeds for her rabbit and raising money for her strawberry plants to protecting her fledgling strawberry crop from “bird attacks” and using her newly grown fruit in recipes. She’s enterprising, growing a small business out of her flourishing strawberry plants, and she may have a new plan for the next year. A fun, informative story with a biracial main character and a step-by-step process in growing and maintaining one’s own food. Green endpapers feature burgeoning strawberry plants, and back matter includes information on growing strawberry plants and pest management. The I Love Strawberries! page on Feedings Minds’s website is loaded with free downloadable goodies, including coloring pages and an educator’s guide.

If you have the budget for it, consider a fun grab-and-go planting project – it doesn’t have to be strawberries! Include a little notebook so kids can journal their progress like Jo does!