The Imaginary Garden

by Andrew Larsen, Irene Luxbacher (Illustrator)

Overview

Theodora loved her grandfather’s old garden. His new apartment’s balcony is too windy and small for a garden. But what appears to be a drawback soon leads to a shared burst of creativity as Theo and her Poppa decide to paint a new garden. As they work side by side — sowing seeds with brushes and paint — a masterpiece begins to take shape that transforms the balcony into an abundant garden.

When Poppa goes away on holiday, Theo helps nurture the garden and it begins to take on a life of its own. This garden grows not from soil but from love, imagination and creativity.

Readers will marvel at each stage of this fertile garden as it grows from seed to full flower, revealing the power of art to enrich our lives.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781525305399
Publisher:	Kids Can Press
Publication date:	09/01/2020
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 10.05(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Andrew Larsen is the acclaimed author of such books as Goodnight, Hockey Fans, A Squiggly Story, The Not-So-Faraway Adventure, In the Tree House and The Imaginary Garden. He lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Editorial Reviews

As fresh and vibrant as a spring bouquet, this joyous offering will delight children, particularly young artists, throughout the year.—Booklist, Starred Review

... sweet and visually appealing ...—School Library Journal

More than the gardening or even the flowers, the dance of imagination between grandfather and grandchild is sweetly filigreed across the pages.—Kirkus Reviews

The Imaginary Garden affirms both a warm bond between grandparent and child and the transformative power of the creative imagination.—Quill & Quire

From the Publisher

K-Gr 2

Theo's Poppa's new apartment has no garden, and the windy balcony does not promise to be a good growing spot. But Theo proposes an imaginary garden, and she and her grandfather begin to fill a large blank canvas with a stone wall for the vines to climb on, early springtime flowers, and a visiting robin. When Poppa goes off on a trip, the painting project becomes Theo's; the garden bursts into bloom as she employs her memory, imagination, and a palette of vibrant colors. She even remembers to paint herself into the scene. The lively artwork is rendered in pen and ink and multimedia collage. The warmth of the grandparent/grandchild relationship is evident but, unfortunately, readers never witness Poppa's return and see his joy at Theo's creation. A book that more successfully shows a child as both gardener and healer is Sarah Stewart's The Gardener (Farrar, 1997). Nonetheless, this is a sweet and visually appealing addition for seasonal and gardening units.-Gloria Koster, West School, New Canaan, CT

School Library Journal

Poppa lives in an apartment now, with a tiny, windy balcony instead of a garden. Theo comes up with the idea of an imaginary garden, so she and Poppa put a big canvas out on the balcony and paint sky, a stonewall and earth. First come the crocuses, then the robins. When Poppa goes away for a while, he reminds Theo that the daffodils, vines and tulips should bloom while he is away-and Theo makes sure they do. Flowers in the richest of saturated colors fill the pages, in contrast to the dainty pen-and-ink of the apartment building and its wrought-iron balconies. More than the gardening or even the flowers, the dance of imagination between grandfather and grandchild is sweetly filigreed across the pages. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews

As fresh and vibrant as a spring bouquet, this joyous offering will delight children, particularly young artists, throughout the year.

Booklist Starred Review