What the Garden Tells Me

by Monica Mikai, Monica Mikai (Illustrator)

Overview

There’s nothing like stepping into a garden and connecting with nature, and readers will revel in the pages of this beautiful picture book that celebrates these wondrous and inspiring places!

Gardens are glorious places blossoming with joy, wonder, and wisdom too. Whether it’s greeting the possibilities of each sunrise with the daylilies or appreciating what makes us as unique as the polkadot plant; whether it’s contemplating life’s thorns with the roses or standing as tall as a sunflower, spending time in nature can give us new ways of seeing. This flora-filled ode will inspire readers to observe the plants around them and appreciate the things that make each one—and each of us—special.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593531181
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	05/14/2024
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.38(w) x 10.31(h) x 0.34(d)
Lexile:	AD780L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Monica Mikai (MonicaMikai.com) has illustrated numerous picture books, including Build a House (by Rhiannon Giddens), My Name Is a Story (by Ashanti), The Proudest Color (by Sheila Modir and Jeffrey Kashou), You Are Getting Sleepy (by Lori Alexander), and Stacey Abrams: Lift Every Voice (by Sarah Warren). What the Garden Tells Me is her debut as author-illustrator. She has a BA in art and elementary education from Rider University and an MFA in painting from the New York Studio School. When Monica isn’t working, you can find her outdoors enjoying nature with her husband and two sons.

Editorial Reviews

An urban garden serves as a teacher and guide to a Black child. A golden gate in the young narrator’s city leads to a beautiful garden. It’s a place full of ‘wonder and wisdom,’ where each flower is a teacher. . . . Mikai’s attractive digital illustrations pair well with her soulful prose. The cityscape is depicted in muted purples and blues, allowing the vibrant flowers to truly pop. Urban dwellers may well be inspired to seek nature in their own backyards. In an author’s note, Mikai discusses the rewards of slowing down and seeking solace in nature; she encourages readers to learn more about flowers. A lovely book that speaks volumes.” —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2024-03-23
An urban garden serves as a teacher and guide to a Black child.

A golden gate in the young narrator’s city leads to a beautiful garden. It’s a place full of “wonder and wisdom,” where each flower is a teacher. Daylilies teach the girl how to “greet the morning with joy.” The willow shows the child “the beauty of loving myself.” As “its branches blow freely, like my hair,” the child gazes admiringly at the image reflected in a nearby pond. Roses demonstrate that, “along with life’s beauty, there will also be thorns,” and that “both have a purpose.” An accompanying illustration depicts the child staring beyond rosebushes as a friend moves away. Birds-of-paradise remind the child of the wonder to be found all around. Mikai’s attractive digital illustrations pair well with her soulful prose. The cityscape is depicted in muted purples and blues, allowing the vibrant flowers to truly pop. Urban dwellers may well be inspired to seek nature in their own backyards. In an author’s note, Mikai discusses the rewards of slowing down and seeking solace in nature; she encourages readers to learn more about flowers.

A lovely book that speaks volumes. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews