With a little help from a watering can, bright sunlight, and a lot of patience, two friends plant seeds in their community garden and watch how they grow. Slowly, the seeds turn into sprouts, which grow into stems, followed by leaves and buds! The garden will soon be teeming with life and ready for a harvest season celebration. But until then, the children water and wait and dream . . .

From School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1-Beginning with perusing seed catalogues on a winter day, a boy and girl plan, plant, tend, harvest, and enjoy the bounty from a garden. While no new ground is broken, the book is a standout for two reasons. The language is poetic and evocative: "Our garden sings with buzzing bees,/with rustling leaves and cawing crows,/with gentle rain and whirring wings" and maintains an even, almost musical cadence throughout. The illustrations, with their dramatic black outlines and vivid colors, are a visual treat. There is a sense of magic in this garden as even the animals cavort happily when the first tiny sprouts appear. Although gardening books abound, this one is very much deserving of shelf space (where it will not remain for long!).-Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

Urban gardening is presented as a yearlong activity that starts with preparing the earth and sowing seeds; moves through caring for shoots, buds and flowers, and the maturation of fruits and vegetables; and ends with harvest, storage, and a family feast. Readers follow two children, a dog, and a family of rabbits as they discover the work it takes to garden, the weather changes that occur during the year, and the wonder of plant growth. Each vividly colored spread is accompanied by one simple, descriptive sentence with gardencentric language. The linoleum block–like illustrations have black outlines and texture-adding marks and are colored in ink and multicolored pencils. The final page offers helpful notes about growth processes that are well suited to the intended audience. This is a quiet yet engaging presentation that is sure to inspire gardening attempts by young readers. The generous size of the book and the illustrations also make this a good choice for small-group sharing. Preschool-Grade 1. --Francisca Goldsmith

“…poetic and evocative…” ―School Library Journal

“From its handsome title-page introduction of fourteen vegetable-garden plants to the useful facts and tips arrayed on seed packets on its last page, this is an inspiring celebration of planning, growing, and enjoying the results of a community garden.” ―Horn Book Magazine

“…[a] fresh celebration of gardening as food for both body and soul.” ―Kirkus

“…a quiet yet engaging presentation that is sure to inspire gardening attempts by young readers. The generous size of the book and the illustrations also make this a good choice for small-group sharing.” ―Booklist

“Christensen's (The Princess of Borscht) sturdy, wood engraving–style illustrations show carrots, pumpkins, chard, and beans that look good enough to eat…” ―Publishers Weekly