Book Reviews May 2022

Flower Garden

Written by Eve Bunting Illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt

Another book by Eve Bunting! This talented woman has written many books for children from two years old to teenagers, in all different settings, and in varied real-life situations. She doesn’t try to hide the truth or to tip toe around uncomfortable topics. Her stories have heart and sometimes raw emotion. The illustrations in her books are usually quite realistic and enhance her words beautifully. Her books raise her readers’ social consciousness – sometimes subtly and sometimes flat out!

Flower Garden is the story of a dad and his daughter putting together a beautiful surprise for his wife and her mother’s birthday. It’s set in a city where they live several stories up in an apartment building. They ride public transportation to and from the grocery store, where they buy plants, a window box, and cake and ice cream.

Mom isn’t home, so they can quickly plant the flowers in the window box before she arrives. She is surprised and happy when she gets home!

In this book the words rhyme. Young children love rhyming! In this book, the reader may not be aware that they are learning about people of different races, or they may recognize themselves in the characters. It is a beautiful book that young children will enjoy over and over again at home or in school.

Reviewed by Lorna McGrath