Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* This lovely story celebrates generativity, a difficult concept for children, but made vivid here through a garden that continues to flourish after its owner moves. According to the author's note, this book is based loosely on a Talmudic story in which a man is questioned about why he plants a carob tree when he may not live to harvest the fruit. His response: Just as my ancestors planted for me, so I plant for my descendants. In this update, a little girl is fascinated by her next-door neighbor, Honey, a middle-aged woman who works hard in her backyard garden, rain or shine. The two become friends, and the girl inadvertently learns to care for the plants as she observes Honey's hard work. Soft pen-and-ink illustrations capture scenes of the friends having a vegetable-filled feast with the girl's mother, stargazing in the garden, and getting speckled eggs from the chicken coop. The idyll ends when Honey must move away to care for her mother. Honey reassures the distraught girl that the garden, if tended, will continue to thrive without her: It belongs to everyone. The story's resolution, where the little girl shows her new neighbors how to care for the garden including the tree she planted with Honey is tremendously satisfying. This tender tale will easily take root in readers' hearts.--Fletcher, Connie Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Just as a garden grows, so does a friendship. This is a touching story about the close relationship between a little girl and her elderly neighbor. As Honey tends her garden, young Laurel delights in watching her work. She observes the woman look after the plants in all kinds of weather. The youngster pays attention to the way Honey thins the lettuce, pulls beets from the ground, and sings to the kale. She says she can hear the kale singing back even if the child cannot. Honey is more than happy to share the fruits and vegetables she has grown with Laurel and her family. The two buddies spend time in the garden during the day and on nights when the weather is nice. But everything will soon change when Honey sells her house. The small child wonders what will happen if Honey moves away. Will they be able to remain friends? What will happen to the garden when Honey is no longer there to take care of it? This book provides many opportunities for discussions about friends and moving away. Told from the young girl's perspective, the story highlights a child's ability to work through a difficult experience. The digitally colorized pen-and-ink illustrations are soft and heartwarming. The subtle details add to the pictures but do not distract from the main characters. VERDICT A welcome addition to any library collection, this is a good selection for one-on-one and small group sharing.-Barbara Spiri, Southborough Library, MA © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Laurel and her next-door neighbor Honey, an older woman, cultivate a friendship grounded in Honey's lovingly tended garden.Narrating from her child's eye, Laurel, who is white, observes Honey (with light brown skin and harlequin glasses) thinning lettuce, pulling beets, and singing to the kale. "She says it sings back, but I can't hear it. / Not even when I listen close." Honey dines with Laurel and her mom each Friday, bringing bouquets of "squash blossoms, rosemary, raspberries on a prickle branch. / Nothing matches, but everything fits." One day, a "for sale" sign appears next door: Honey must move to care for her sick mother. Sensitively, Honey helps Laurel understand that the garden will continue on after she leaves. Her new strawberry plants will fruit for another family, just as she's enjoyed the grapes planted by an earlier gardener. She helps Laurel plant a young apple tree. When a new family with four young children moves into Honey's house, Laurel helps them in the gardenand sings to the kale. Cotterill's digitally colored pen-and-ink compositions enthusiastically depict Honey's flourishing veggies and natty garden attire. Visuals gently extend the story: Laurel inherits Honey's yellow straw hat and writes her an "I miss you" letter. Loosely based on a Talmudic story, Snyder's tale is a tender tribute to the sustainability of good gardensand intergenerational friendships. (author's note) (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
