FICTION

The Little Gardener

by Emily HUGHES
illus. by Emily Hughes. 40p. Flying Eye Books. Aug. 2015. Tr $17.95. ISBN 9781909263437.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 1—Inspired by a single glorious flower, a Tom Thumb-like gardener toils himself into exhaustion in his attempts to tame enormous weeds and clear the litter from his property. When he finally sleeps in his cozy straw cottage, a regular-size girl is motivated by the same bloom, then takes over the task. When the title character wakes, he and his helper relish the resulting bursts of flora, especially the plant they first admired. Hughes uses minimal text and a dark palette to great effect. The lush wilderness, likely inspired by her Hawaiian background, luckily remains even in the completed garden.
VERDICT A gentle fairy tale, the story encourages tenacity and speaks to the value of teamwork and environmental stewardship.
Reviewed by Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA , Jun 01, 2015

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