Planting Hope

K-Gr 3–Henry’s family loves plants and gardening, but his plants never seem to grow. When he asks his mom for help, she tells him that the plants need to have hope and encouragement to grow. Henry doesn’t really believe her, because she’s been gardening all her life and the plants have always grown well for her. But one day, Henry’s mom gets sick, and she’s not able to garden. The plants around her start to suffer, and Henry must find a way to offer the plants and his mom hope. The brightly colored artwork is a perfect complement to the joyful, positive message of the book. The metaphor of needing hope to grow and thrive is a strong theme that will resonate with readers. This could also be the inspiration for a science project with plants and variables of sun, water, temperature, and positive intent. All characters have various shades of brown skin.