Thursday, March 26, 2009

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Spring is finally starting to make its presence known - maybe just a little bit for those of us still under the threat of snowfall.  However, if you've got spring fever, you're probably grasping onto every sign of spring that you can uncover - a crocus bud, an earthworm, birds greeting you in the morning.  Below is a selection of books about gardening, planting, and growing.  Maybe you can use these stories as another sign of spring.  And don't forget to check and see if you can get them from your local library!


Flower Garden by Eve Bunting
Working with her father, a young gardener gathers a garden to plant in a window box for a surprise for her mother.  Illustrations are beautiful oil paintings. (Ages 3-6)
(Full bibliographic info: Bunting, Eve. Flower Garden. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1994.)

Jack's Garden by Henry Cole
Instead of a house, Jack is building a garden this time - preparing the soil, planting the seeds, enjoying the garden.  The detailed illustrations provide a lot of chat about in this story and the author also provides some gardening suggestions.  (Ages 3-6)
(Full bibliographic info: Cole, Henry. Jack's Garden. Greenwillow Books, 1995.)

Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
Alice Rumphius has fulfilled all of the promises for her future from traveling the world and having adventures and now she needs to fulfill the one last promise to her grandfather - the leave the world more beautiful.  She scatters lupine seeds by the sea and watches as through seasons, they are spread on the wind.  (Ages 4-9)

(Full bibliographic info: Cooney, Barbara. Miss Rumphius. Viking, 1982.)

Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
"Every year, Mom and I plant a rainbow."  Filled with vibrant color and bold images of flowers, this garden is a wonderful vision to share.  (Ages 3-7)

(Full bibliographic info: Ehlert, Lois. Planting a Rainbow. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1988.)

Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Fleming
Mr. McGreely has been planning and planting his vegetable garden filled with carrots and tomatoes, but he has a battle.  The bunnies.  Those sneaky bunnies who can spring and hurdle and dash-dash-dash.  How does Mr. McGreely save his garden?  (Ages 4-9)
(Full bibliographic info: Fleming, Candace. Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2002.)


Bumpety Bump by Pat Hutchins
A young boy and his grandfather harvest a garden filled with veggies and fruits using a wheelbarrow that goes bumpety bump.  (Ages 2-5)

(Full bibliographic info: Hutchins, Pat. Bumpety Bump. Greenwillow Books, 2006.)

The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
A classic from 1945 and never out of print, The Carrot Seed celebrated its 60th anniversary addition in 2005.  Illustrated by her husband and written with great care by Ruth Krauss, this story tells of a boy who plants a seed.  And even though his family has told him to give, he never does and he harvests a wondrous carrot, just as he knew he would.  (Ages 2-7)

(Full bibliographic info: Krauss, Ruth. The Carrot Seed. Harper Collins, 1945.)

The Gardener by Sarah Stewart
Set in the depression era, Lydia Grace Finch leaves home to live in the city with her uncle to ease the financial burden of her family.  Through correspondence with her family, we are shown how Lydia works to transform the apartment and roof top into a beautiful garden.  The wonderful illustrations earned this book a Caldecott Honor.  (Ages 5-9)

(Full bibliographic info: Stewart, Sarah. The Gardener. Farrar Straus Giroux, 1997.)

To Be Like the Sun by Susan Marie Swanson
Join a little girl on her journey to understand the wonder of the sunflower seed to flower and back again.  Awesome illustrations.  (Ages 3-7)

(Full bibliographic info: Swanson, Susan Marie. To Be Like the Sun. Harcourt, 2008.)

Zinnia's Flower Garden by Monica Wellington
Zinnia plants a flower garden - it's a simple and bright account of preparing the soil, planting in rows, watering and waiting for sprouts.  (Ages 2-5)

(Full bibliographic info: Wellington, Monica.  Zinnia's Flower Garden. Dutton Children's Books, 2005.)
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