Review by Booklist Review
Millie, a homesick girl, looks out her window one rainy day and thinks of a way to make herself feel more at home in her new surroundings. In her old apartment building "more than an ocean away," her family grew their own vegetables on the rooftop garden. She suggests to her teacher that her class could create a garden on the school's roof. Her teacher, her classmates, and the principal all support her idea, pitching in to plan the garden, build raised beds, plant seeds, tend the vegetables and flowers, and eventually take them home or give them away. As Principal Blinson says, "Gardens bring people together." Despite cloudy days, Millie finds that "everything's different. Everything's better." Written in first person from her point of view, the narrative reads aloud smoothly, with a pleasant cadence and occasional internal rhymes. The lively mixed-media artwork supports the text effectively with varied scenes of students involved with each other and the project of creating their garden, while Millie glows with happiness as her idea becomes a satisfying reality.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
It's raining in a city, and "most days, I feel gray too," but a trip to the corner store gives Millie an idea: a garden. Millie tells classmates and teachers about the rooftop garden atop a former apartment building, "more than an ocean away." Spreads by Crowton pull back, portraying the energy of big groups, indoors and out, as doll-like figures of varying abilities and skin tones plan, bring supplies, and set up the beds. Miller writes even lines of prose poetry that sometimes burst into buoyancy ("Our high-in-the-sky, thought-we'd-try-garden"), showing how working a plot of land follows the child's own experience: "Maybe I'm like our seeds./ Stuck in new soil. Hoping to grow." Values of speaking up, persistence, and patience are all embraced in a quiet tale of settling into a new community. Ages 3--7. (Mar.)
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Review by Horn Book Review
Feeling homesick after moving "more than an ocean away" to America, Millie suggests to her class that they build a garden on the school's roof. After gathering supplies, planting seeds, and lots of waiting ("good things take time," their teacher tells them), the children's efforts are rewarded with the first sprouts' appearance. Then the garden takes off, and everyone harvests vegetables and celebrates their success. When Millie takes her first bite of carrot, "it tastes like home." The calm mixed-media illustrations, which feature a diverse and determined group of students tending to the garden, enhance this uplifting story about finding belonging and purpose somewhere new. (c) Copyright 2023. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Gray days spur a child to come up with a creative solution to ennui. Millie realizes that a rooftop garden could be just what the school needs. Millie shares their idea with the other students, who are initially skeptical. The teacher finally agrees, though a rooftop garden will be a lot of work. With the help of the community, they build their garden, and wait…and wait…and wait for their seeds to sprout and for the brown soil to be filled with colorful vegetables. Once sprouted and grown, the produce comes in a deluge, and all of the children get to take home veggies in an assortment of colors. Reminiscent of Christian Robinson's art, Crowton's extraordinary illustrations are appropriate for a child audience; Millie, who just moved from "more than an ocean away" and has pale skin and dark hair, and the racially diverse students look as though they could break the fourth wall and start talking to the reader. The primary colors are bright and clear and can easily be seen from a distance during a read-aloud. Miller's lyrical prose is breezy and engaging, emphasizing how important teamwork is when it comes to creating a successful garden and that the waiting period between planting and growing can feel excruciating. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A nourishing delight. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
