2017 USBBY Outstanding International Books (OIB) List
'Simply stated, no school or community library collection for young readers will be complete without the inclusion of Gerda Muller's A Year in Our New Garden ... The bright pages of gardening specifics and kid-oriented details on planting a garden shouldn't be missed.'–Midwest Book Review
'The beautifully detailed paintings invite close inspection as the seasons change ... Helpful gardening tips, delicious recipes, and other related information accompany this tale and will surely inspire readers to create their own wonderful gardens. A fine companion to Muller's How Does My Garden Grow? and A Year Around the Great Oak, it continues her tradition of providing an engaging story that also seamlessly integrates facts about the natural world. '– School Library Journal
'The gouache, colored pencil and graphite art includes cozy, warm realistic depictions of the flora and fauna around the garden, as well as diagrams, drawings of tools and steps for different plantings and simple craft projects using garden elements. The larger size of the book allows for grand vistas, but also makes use of page corners and edges for charming detailed drawings. Muller is an amazing artist – in a scene of a campfire, it looks as if the smoke is right under the reader's nose.' – Youth Services Book Review, 5 Stars
'Gerda Muller s enchanting illustrations, filled with details, will keep little readers engaged.'– San Francisco Book Review
'This book not only provides a vivid reminder of the importance of growing our own crops, but it also includes detailed images and descriptions of the seasonal changes and some of the activities such as making an acorn necklace or freshly-squeezed lemonade in which the youngsters engage. I liked the simple fact that their new friend Louis, who is depicted in a wheelchair, has his own balcony garden as well. I also enjoyed the youngsters' enthusiastic embracing of their various gardening projects.'– GoodReads reviewer
07/01/2016
K-Gr 3—Anna and Benjamin move with their parents to a new house in the middle of a busy city. The wonder of this house is that it includes a large garden among the tall apartment buildings. Muller explores the design and planting of this city garden through the eyes of the children. This title can be read to younger kids as the story of a family creating a garden. Older readers will appreciate in-depth explanations about the actual components needed to design a real garden. The narrative follows the family as they move from planning to planting to harvest. Multiple illustrations cover each page. Larger drawings that show the garden as a whole are combined with small framed and unframed insets that highlight specific details. The beautifully detailed paintings invite close inspection as the seasons change and the children play, picnic, plant, harvest, and enjoy the garden's wildlife. Smaller, intricate depictions are added throughout and include labeled gardening tools, close-ups of insects and birds, and cut-away views of plant growth above and below the ground and even demonstrate how to make Anna's crown of leaves and flowers. Helpful gardening tips, delicious recipes, and other related information accompany this tale and will surely inspire readers to create their own wonderful gardens. A fine companion to Muller's How Does My Garden Grow? and A Year Around the Great Oak, it continues her tradition of providing an engaging story that also seamlessly integrates facts about the natural world. VERDICT Both entertaining and useful, this book is recommended for every library.—Carole Phillips, Greenacres Elementary School, Scarsdale, NY
