In the Garden with Dr. Carver

by Susan Grigsby, Nicole Tadgell (Illustrator)

Overview

A 2011 Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People
2012-2013 Children's Crown Gallery Nominee
2011 Growing Good Kids—Excellence in Children's Literature Award

Dr. Carver knew everything in nature was connected.

Sally is a young girl living in rural Alabama in the early 1900s, a time when people were struggling to grow food in soil that had been depleted by years of cotton production. One day, Dr. George Washington Carver shows up to help the grown-ups with their farms and the children with their school garden. He teaches them how to restore the soil and respect the balance of nature. He even prepares a delicious lunch made of plants, including "chicken" made from peanuts. And Sally never forgets the lessons this wise man leaves in her heart and mind. Susan Grigsby's warm story shines new light on a Black scientist who was ahead of his time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807536308
Publisher:	Whitman, Albert & Company
Publication date:	09/01/2010
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	412,855
Product dimensions:	10.90(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.30(d)
Lexile:	810L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 - 9 Years

About the Author

Susan Grigsby is a children's book author. She lives in Missouri with her husband.

Nicole Tadgell is the award-winning illustrator of more than twenty picture books. When she's not drawing, Nicole enjoys practicing Tai Chi and watching Doctor Who.

Editorial Reviews

A 2011 Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People
2012-2013 Children's Crown Gallery Nominee
2011 Growing Good Kids—Excellence in Children's Literature Award

"Tadgell's watercolors add both playful side business and accurate botanical illustration to this admiring child’s account of the famous scientist’s stopover in a rural community…Though fictionalized, the encounter presents Carver’s work and ideas in a simple, engaging way that will stay with young readers."—Kirkus Reviews

"In this charming historical-fiction picture book, a young girl relates an educational and inspirational visit by Dr. George Washington Carver to her Alabama town…this is an enjoyable, accessible, and informative introduction to Carver's work and philosophies as well as gardening basics."—Booklist

"The watercolor illustrations include many humorous asides of children acting like children—making horrified faces as they taste Dr. Carver's menu of 'chicken' made from peanuts and wild-weed salad, or being silly with friends when they are supposed to be listening. Scientific and historical information is well-presented through the gentle text and lighthearted illustrations. Teachers will find many uses for this appealing book."—School Library Journal

"This is a great book to use to improve the love of science and nature. It also provides beautifully rendered pastel illustrations that capture the time period and essence of Dr. Carver's work."—Library Media Connection

From the Publisher

K-Gr 3—In this story set in the early 1900s, African-American elementary-school students Sally and her classmates get scientific lessons from Dr. George Washington Carver, who arrives in a "funny-looking wagon" pulled by an old mule, his "movable school." Everyone in the small Alabama town has heard of the famous plant scientist, however, and pays attention to what he has to say. The setting seems slightly idealized. The characters look healthy and well-dressed, although they do talk about the difficulties of farming land depleted by years of growing cotton. The focus of the story is on Carver teaching the children about plants though, not economic conditions, so Tadgell's sunny color palette, rich with earth tones, is appropriate. Sally, in a bright red dress and white pinafore, stands out in the gardening spreads. The watercolor illustrations include many humorous asides of children acting like children—making horrified faces as they taste Dr. Carver's menu of "chicken" made from peanuts and wild-weed salad, or being silly with friends when they are supposed to be listening. Scientific and historical information is well-presented through the gentle text and lighthearted illustrations. Teachers will find many uses for this appealing book.—Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA

School Library Journal

Tadgell's watercolors add both playful side business and accurate botanical illustration to this admiring child's account of the famous scientist's stopover in a rural community. George Washington Carver often spent weekends visiting settlements around Tuskegee with his "movable school" to dispense information about reclaiming depleted farmland, recycling and good agricultural practices. Avidly absorbing his injunctions to look closely at the natural world and to understand its interrelationships before changing or destroying anything, the young narrator and other children move a rose bush to a sunnier spot, make nature drawings, sample ice cream and other foods made from peanuts and "strange wild weeds," then help dig and plant a garden outside their schoolhouse. Though fictionalized, the encounter presents Carver's work and ideas in a simple, engaging way that will stay with young readers until they're ready for Marilyn Nelson's soaring Carver: A Life in Poems (2001). The endpapers present lovely illustrations of flora and fauna, complete with common and Latin names, and an author's note provides additional background on Carver's career. (Picture book. 7-9)

Kirkus Reviews