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Gardening

Learning where our food comes from and how plants grow

We Are the Gardeners

Gardening, Celebrity Authors, NY Times Best Sellers

In the #1 New York Times bestseller We Are the Gardeners, Joanna Gaines and the kids chronicle the adventures of starting their own family garden. From their failed endeavors, obstacles to overcome (bunnies that eat everything), and all of the knowledge they gain along the way, the Gaines family shares how they learned to grow a happy, successful garden. We Are the Gardeners is a whimsical picture book perfect for: Ages 4-8 Parents, libraries, classroom story times, and discussions focusing on springtime and gardening Households that enjoy watching HGTV's Fixer Upper Young children and families interested in gardening and plants After reading, children will learn: Trying something new isn't always easy, but the hardest work often yields the greatest reward The basic steps and process of starting a garden The importance of patience and how it is possible to learn from your mistakes You and your children will learn all about the Gaines family's story of becoming gardeners in Joanna's first children's book--starting with the first little fern Chip bought for Jo. Over the years, the family's love for gardening has blossomed into what is now a beautiful, bustling garden.
average rating is 4.8 out of 5, based on 3167 votes, reviews

Joanna Gaines

Miss Rumphius

Classics, Travel, Gardening

A beloved classic is lovelier than ever! Barbara Cooney's story of Alice Rumphius, who longed to travel the world, live in a house by the sea, and do something to make the world more beautiful, has a timeless quality that resonates with each new generation. The countless lupines that bloom along the coast of Maine are the legacy of the real Miss Rumphius, the Lupine Lady, who scattered lupine seeds everywhere she went. Miss Rumphius received the American Book Award in the year of publication. To celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of two-time Caldecott winner Barbara Cooney's best-loved book, Viking has reoriginated the illustrations, going back to the original art to ensure state-of-the-art reproduction of Cooney's exquisite artwork. The art for Miss Rumphius has a permanent home in the Bowdoin College Museum of Art.
average rating is 4.9 out of 5, based on 2918 votes, reviews

Barbara Cooney

The Tiny Seed

Environment, Gardening

Eric Carle’s classic story of the life cycle of a flower is told through the adventures of a tiny seed. This mini-book includes a piece of detachable seed-embedded paper housed on the inside front cover. Readers can plant the entire piece of paper and watch as their very own tiny seeds grow into beautiful wildflowers.
average rating is 4.7 out of 5, based on 2617 votes, reviews

Eric Carle

Planting a Rainbow

Environment, Gardening

This educational and enjoyable book helps children understand how to plant bulbs, seeds, and seedlings, and nurture their growth. Lois Ehlert's bold collage illustrations include six pages of staggered width, presenting all the flowers of each color of the rainbow.
average rating is 4.8 out of 5, based on 2033 votes, reviews

Lois Ehlert

The Empty Pot

Diverse Leads, Asian Culture, Gardening

The Empty Pot is Demi's beloved picture book about an honest schoolboy A long time ago in China there was a boy named Ping who loved flowers. Anything he planted burst into bloom. The Emperor loved flowers too. When it was time to choose an heir, he gave a flower seed to each child in the kingdom. "Whoever can show me their best in a year's time," he proclaimed, "shall succeed me to the throne!" Ping plants his seed and tends it every day. But month after month passes, and nothing grows. When spring comes, Ping must go to the Emperor with nothing but an empty pot. Demi's exquisite art and beautifully simple text show how Ping's embarrassing failure is turned triumphant in this satisfying tale of honesty rewarded.
average rating is 4.8 out of 5, based on 1469 votes, reviews

Demi

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Lola Plants a Garden

Gardening, Diverse Leads

How does your garden grow? Book-loving Lola is inspired by a collection of garden poems that she reads with her mommy. She wants to plant her own garden of beautiful flowers, so she and Mommy go to the library to check out books about gardening. They choose their flowers and buy their seeds. They dig and plant. And then they wait. Lola finds it hard to wait for her flowers to grow, but she spends the time creating her own flower book. Soon she has a garden full of sunflowers and invites all of her friends for cakes and punch and a story amongst the flowers. Lola is a beloved character that continues to shine for young readers. Her curiosity and love of books is infectious. Parents and children love sharing Lola's stories. Rosalind Beardshaw's beautiful illustrations highlight Lola's close-knit family and how they use stories and books to interact with their world. Lola's brightly colored and growing garden is the perfect surrounding for this bright little girl.
average rating is 4.9 out of 5, based on 1271 votes, reviews

Anna McQuinn

Garden Sounds

Gardening, Interactive

Little children can listen to a baby bird tweeting, frogs croaking in the pond and owls hooting when they press the pages of this delightful book. Colourful pages show the garden and pond in the sun and rain and at night. With simple text, holes to peep through and fingertrails to explore, this is a lovely first book about nature and the outdoors.
average rating is 4.7 out of 5, based on 1194 votes, reviews

Sam Taplin

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When Grandma Gives You a Lemon

Grandparents, Gardening

When Grandma gives you a lemon tree, definitely don’t make a face! Care for the tree, and you might be surprised at how new things, and new ideas, bloom. “Charms from cover to cover.” —Kirkus (Starred review) “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” In this imaginative take on that popular saying, a child is surprised (and disappointed) to receive a lemon tree from Grandma for her birthday. After all, she DID ask for a new gadget! But when she follows the narrator’s careful—and funny—instructions, she discovers that the tree might be exactly what she wanted after all. This clever story, complete with a recipe for lemonade, celebrates the pleasures of patience, hard work, nature, community . . . and putting down the electronic devices just for a while.
average rating is 4.9 out of 5, based on 866 votes, reviews

Jamie L.B. Deenihan

The Night Gardener

Gardening, Nature Lovers

In the spirit of Goodnight Moon and The Curious Garden comes a stunning debut picture book filled with whimsy and creativity from brothers Terry and Eric Fan. One day, William discovers that the tree outside his window has been sculpted into a wise owl. In the following days, more topiaries appear, and each one is more beautiful than the last. Soon, William’s gray little town is full of color and life. And though the mysterious night gardener disappears as suddenly as he appeared, William—and his town—are changed forever. With breathtaking illustrations and spare, sweet text, this masterpiece about enjoying the beauty of nature is sure to become an instant classic.
average rating is 4.8 out of 5, based on 809 votes, reviews

Terry Fan

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If You Plant a Seed

Gardening, Compassion

The bestselling book about the power of one kind act from Caldecott Medal and Coretta Scott King Award winner Kadir Nelson is now an adorable board book. If you plant a carrot seed . . . a carrot will grow. If you plant a cabbage seed . . . cabbage will grow. But what happens if you plant a seed of kindness . . . or selfishness? With spare text and breathtaking oil paintings, If You Plant a Seed demonstrates not only the process of planting and growing for young children but also how a seed of kindness can bear sweet fruit.
average rating is 4.8 out of 5, based on 747 votes, reviews

Kadir Nelson

The Curious Garden

Environment, Gardening

This New York Times bestselling modern classic explores the perennial topic of environmentalism in an urban world, from the creator of The Wild Robot and Mr. Tiger Goes Wild One boy's quest for a greener world... one garden at a time. While out exploring one day, a little boy named Liam discovers a struggling garden and decides to take care of it. As time passes, the garden spreads throughout the dark, gray city, transforming it into a lush, green world. This is an enchanting tale with environmental themes and breathtaking illustrations that become more vibrant as the garden blooms. Red-headed Liam can also be spotted on every page, adding a clever seek-and-find element to this captivating picture book.
average rating is 4.9 out of 5, based on 515 votes, reviews

Peter Brown

Compost Stew

Environment, Gardening

Teach kids to compost and help them develop life-long habits to protect the Earth. From apple cores to zinnia heads, readers will discover the best ingredients for a successful compost pile in this fun picture book perfect for Earth Day! Kids everywhere are seeking knowledge about the environment and climate change. Not only is composting becoming more common in households and residential gardens, but many school gardens feature compost piles, too. But how do you start a compost pile? What’s safe to include? Perfect for an Earth Day focus or year-round reference, this inviting book provides all the answers for kids and families looking for simple, child-friendly ways to help the planet.
average rating is 4.8 out of 5, based on 455 votes, reviews

Mary McKenna Siddals

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Garden Time

Gardening

Learn from home and explore the world with these fun and easy board books! This cheerful and informative Hello, World! board book teaches toddlers all about gardens—with easy-to-understand facts about how plants grow and how gardening puts food on our tables. Hello, World! is a series designed to introduce first nonfiction concepts to babies and toddlers. Told in clear and easy terms ("Roots spread into the soil below, and then a shoot pushes up out of the earth") and featuring bright, cheerful illustrations, Hello, World! makes learning fun for young children. And each sturdy page offers helpful prompts for engaging with your child. It's a perfect way to bring science and nature into the busy world of a toddler, where learning never stops.
average rating is 4.9 out of 5, based on 435 votes, reviews

Jill McDonald

Sonya’s Chickens

Gardening

Sonya raises her three chickens from the time they are tiny chicks. She feeds them, shelters them and loves them. Everywhere Sonya goes, her chicks are peeping at her heels. Under her care, the chicks grow into hens and even give Sonya a wonderful gift: an egg! One night, Sonya hears noises coming from the chicken coop and discovers that one of her hens has disappeared. Where did the hen go? What happened to her? When Sonya discovers the answers, she learns some important truths about the interconnectedness of nature and the true joys and sorrows of caring for another creature.
average rating is 4.9 out of 5, based on 419 votes, reviews

Phoebe Wahl

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Growing Vegetable Soup

Fathers, Gardening, Food

This is the boldest, brassiest garden book to hit the market, and what a delight. Intensely colored graphics capture the complete growing process from seed to cooking pot, with the focus on the plants. The unseen narrator describes the process of growing vegetable soup, from preparing the tools and digging holes for the seeds to weeding plants; picking vegetables; washing, chopping, and cooking themand finally enjoying the homemade soup while planning to grow more next year. It's a fresh presentation of the gardening cycle with a joyful conclusion, and the added attraction of an easy and tasty recipe for vegetable soup on the flyleaf. A book to help nourish healthy readers. (Barbara Peklo Serling, Oneida City Schools, N.Y.)
average rating is 4.7 out of 5, based on 410 votes, reviews

Lois Ehlert

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Secret Garden (BabyLit)

Nature Lovers, Gardening

As seen in the New York Times “Will delight bookish babes of all ages.” ―COOL MOM PICKS “The simplicity of these books is its genius.” ―KID LIT REVIEWS BabyLit® is a fashionable way to introduce your toddler to the world of classic literature. With clever, simple text by Jennifer Adams, paired with stylish design and illustrations by Sugar’s Alison Oliver, these books are a must for every savvy parent’s nursery library.
average rating is 4.6 out of 5, based on 303 votes, reviews

Jennifer Adams

Harlem Grown

Gardening, Thinking Big, Diverse Leads

Discover the incredible true story of Harlem Grown, a lush garden in New York City that grew out of an abandoned lot and now feeds a neighborhood. Once In a big city called New York In a bustling neighborhood There was an empty lot. Nevaeh called it the haunted garden. Harlem Grown tells the inspiring true story of how one man made a big difference in a neighborhood. After seeing how restless they were and their lack of healthy food options, Tony Hillery invited students from an underfunded school to turn a vacant lot into a beautiful and functional farm. By getting their hands dirty, these kids turned an abandoned space into something beautiful and useful while learning about healthy, sustainable eating and collaboration. Five years later, the kids and their parents, with the support of the Harlem Grown staff, grow thousands of pounds of fruits and vegetables a year. All of it is given to the kids and their families. The incredible story is vividly brought to life with Jessie Hartland’s “charmingly busy art” (Booklist) that readers will pore over in search of new details as they revisit this poignant and uplifting tale over and over again. Harlem Grown is an independent, not-for-profit organization. The author’s share of the proceeds from the sale of this book go directly to Harlem Grown.
average rating is 4.9 out of 5, based on 242 votes, reviews

Tony Hillery

The Ugly Vegetables

Food, Diverse Leads

A Chinese-American girl and her mother grow a vegetable garden in a neighborhood where everyone else grows flowers. The girl thinks their plants are ugly compared to flowers, but soon learns that vegetables can make a very delicious soup one that the whole neighborhood wants to try. Soon everyone is growing Chinese vegetables as well as flowers.
average rating is 4.8 out of 5, based on 235 votes, reviews

Grace Lin

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Goodnight, Veggies

Gardening, Food

Every veggie needs their shut-eye in this bedtime book that celebrates community, the joys of a small garden, and the importance of taking care of ourselves. Illustrated by New York Times bestselling artist Zachariah OHora, Goodnight Veggies is perfect for fans of the Llama Llama series and will keep emerging readers engaged with adorable illustrations, especially while children are at home exploring backyards, plant pots, and balcony garden patches. As the sun begins to set, the tomatoes are tuckered out, the cucumbers are calm, and the beets are simply beat. But what’s got them all so exhausted?
average rating is 4.8 out of 5, based on 147 votes, reviews

Diana Murray

Florette

Gardening

When Mae’s family moves to a new home, she wishes she could bring her garden with her. She’ll miss the apple trees, the daffodils, and chasing butterflies in the wavy grass. But there’s no room for a garden in the city. Or is there? Mae’s story, gorgeously illustrated in watercolor, is a celebration of friendship, resilience in the face of change, and the magic of the natural world.
average rating is 4.8 out of 5, based on 124 votes, reviews

Anna Walker

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The Very Hungry Caterpillar's Garden Friends

Gardening, Newborn Touch

Join The Very Hungry Caterpillar and his garden friends in this touch-and-feel adventure! Greet a new friend with each turn of the page as you explore the garden with The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Interactive and educational text encourages young readers to feel and think about each texture they encounter, and Eric Carle's colorful art sets each delightful scene. Classic characters come to life in this sensational story perfect for little hands!
average rating is 4.7 out of 5, based on 58 votes, reviews

Eric Carle

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The Bee Without Wings

Environment, Friendships, Gardening

An unexpected friendship between a girl and a wingless bee warmly teaches young readers about friendship and loss in this heartfelt tale for fans of Charlotte's Web and The Honeybee. Finding a bumble bee without wings in her garden, Sasha is determined to help it survive, leading to an unexpected friendship. Sasha, Molly the cat, and Bea the bee share a joyful summer together and discover that you don't need wings to fly. When the time comes to say goodbye to Bea, Sasha finds a meaningful way to honor the life of her tiny friend. The Bee Without Wings is a timeless story of friendship and loss for young readers, beautifully illustrated by author Amberlea Williams. This warm tale includes an activity for creating a bee pollinator garden, along with information on how to care for early spring bees.
average rating is 5 out of 5, based on 7 votes, reviews

Amberlea Williams

Bees Are Our Friends

Environment, Gardening

Bees Are Our Friends invites readers into a stunning garden to admire the hard work of one little bee. As the bee pollinates the garden, vibrant flowers and ripe fruit and vegetables burst to life around her. Down in the garden, up high in a tree, is a busy beehive … and one little bee. Written in irresistible rhyme by Toni D’Alia, and lavishly illustrated by Alice Lindstrom, young readers will pore over this perfect introduction to these essential insects.
average rating is 5 out of 5, based on 3 votes, reviews

Toni D'Alia

Gardening

meaningful additions

Children learn and hear more than we think.  Books provide context for new and potentially confusing topics, and give caregivers a way to approach complex topics.

Balanced Rocks
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