The Children's Garden

Welcome to the Children’s Garden--a beautiful place to connect with nature and the food cycle! Illustrated with colorful paintings, this charming picture book features a diverse group of children connecting to food through hands-on outdoor activity.
 
Down the road from Woodlawn Avenue, on a street called Sunnyside, there’s a garden patch grown by children who live in the neighborhood. A sign on the garden’s gate says: Children’s Garden, WELCOME! That means: Come in, please. Listen, see, smell, touch--even taste!

In rich prose and lush illustrations, this charming picture book shows children as urban farmers, exploring the sights, smells, sensations, and tastes of growing their own food in a community garden. The story invites young readers to enjoy summer’s bounty and the hands-on experience of tending and harvesting it, while the colorful illustrations depict a multicultural community of children learning about and enjoying a sustainable, local food system."This charming look at a cooperative project outdoors in fresh air and sunshine captures the appeal of gardening and may inspire children to plant some seeds of their own."
—Kirkus Reviews, starred 

"Simple yet enlightening and lyrical text is enhanced by the cheerful and colorful artwork... A solid addition for libraries looking for offerings on urban ¬gardening that will inspire and inform future farmers."
—School Library Journal

"A fantastic book to read to school children before planting a school garden or just to get them excited about good food!" 
—A Nest for All Seasons

"The lyrical text and sun-drenched illustrations combine storytelling with horticultural basics… Inviting and inspiring, this luminous volume provides a hands-on paean to community gardening."
—School Library Journal

"Aspiring gardeners will love hearing about a real children’s garden."
—Seattle Refined

"A diverse pack of kids enjoy[s] the summer’s bounty in colorful paintings... Kids all over the country will undoubtedly enjoy the book."
—Seattle's Child

"This book will be a great addition to our learning about gardens and sustainability."
—Brought to You By Mom

"This is a story all about the joy of learning, respect, community, responsibility and teamwork. There are so many elements of this book that I, as a mom, teacher and gardener find valuable. This book inspires, empowers, excites, and fosters pride!"
—The Petite Stag


"Imaginative language and bold, bright illustrations and splendid seed packet endpapers make this portrait of a bountiful co-operative gardening project a delight."--Red Reading HubCAROLE LEXA SCHAEFER is an award-winning children’s book author. She has written over 20 picture books and easy readers published with four major publishing companies. Schaefer lives on Camano Island, WA.

PIERR MORGAN has published extensively with major publishers. She has been an artist in residence at the Seattle Children’s Museum. She lives on Bainbridge Island, WA.