FICTION

Grandma’s Gardens

by Hillary Clinton & Chelsea Clinton (text) & illus. by Carme Lemniscates
Philomel. Mar. 2020. 40p. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780593115350.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2–In this nostalgic paean to gardens and grandmothers, Chelsea and Hillary Clinton share their memories of Hillary’s mother, Grandma Dorothy. In alternating paragraphs (Chelsea’s in blue type, Hillary’s in green), they talk about the ways gardens can be places of learning, discovery, and story sharing. Gardens can provide homes for animals and food for people. Readers watch Chelsea grow from a curious toddler inspecting a ladybug to a young adult sharing souvenir books from gardens she had visited. Except for her hair color, Hillary changes little from young mother to grandmother herself. The illustrations also have a static quality. Pretty, pleasant, and tidy, the gardens are manicured and controlled—no dirt, no weeds, no flowerpot or blossom out of place.
VERDICT Filtered through golden memories, these recollections will probably appeal more to adults than children. The book may prove a popular gift for grandmothers, especially those with gardens.
Reviewed by Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University Library, Mankato , Feb 01, 2020

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