Thank You, Garden

"For soil
and sun,
for friends
and fun...

Thank you, garden!"

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Summary

Rhyming text accompanied by illustrations explores the seasons of a community garden -- what grows there, from flowers and fruit to friendships, as well as who takes care of the community's space. It's a celebration of all things garden!

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Liz Garton Scanlon

Scanlon writes picture books that celebrate the natural world, middle grade novels and poetry, as well as teaches at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She received a Caldecott Honor for the picture book All the World.

There are a number of teacher/homeschool guides for many of her picture books available at Scanlon's site; unfortunately, not one for Thank You, Garden yet.

Simone Shin

Shin is a graduate of the Art Center College of Design at Boston University who began her career by illustrating magazines and newspapers.

Her illustrations for the 2015 The Red Bicycle  -- which is on my list to review in the near future! -- are numerous including the 2016 Outstanding International Book awarded by the US Board on Books for Young Children.

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Relevance

Home gardening during the pandemic has been comforting to many -- companies such as Burpee's, The Seed Man, and others could not keep up with the demand for vegetable seeds.  Gardening in unpredictable times is one activity which grounds us physically and renews our hearts and minds. Working in a garden, in a yard, or on the windowsill is possible during the autumn and winter.

Learning Connections

• Outdoor Autumn & Winter Garden Activities for Children, Play of the Wild (this site is one of the few I recommend parents follow!)
  
• Children's Gardens, Garden Know How - excellent list of posts for working with children in the garden and nature, as well as a great advice on helping children design their garden for next spring
  
• Indoor Gardening, Kids Gardening
  
• School Garden Lesson Plans, Whole Foods Foundation
  

Picture book, 30 pages. A community garden celebration in rhyme and illustrations.