First Garden: The White House Garden and How It Grew

by Robbin Gourley

Overview

The White House kitchen garden, part of Michelle Obama’s campaign to encourage healthful eating, was established in 2009. This book tells the story of Mrs. Obama’s garden, as well as the story of the White House grounds, the other gardens (including Eleanor Roosevelt’s Victory Garden in World War II) that came before, the White House children who have played there, and the teamwork, involving local children as well as the Obama family and White House staff, that led to the garden now flourishing on the South Lawn. This is a lighthearted, entertaining, and lavishly illustrated introduction to an inspiring and much-publicized project. Includes recipes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780547482248
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	04/04/2011
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	AD1070L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Robbin Gourley is an artist and art director as well as an author and illustrator of cookbooks and picture books. She divides her time between rural Pennsylvania and Brooklyn, New York.

Editorial Reviews

"The foreword by Alice Waters, restaurateur and founder of the Edible Schoolyard program, may draw adults to the book, but Gourley’s clear, focused writing and lively illustrations will keep children engaged. A fine choice for introducing to children to the rewards of gardening at home or at school."—Booklist, starred review —

From the Publisher

K-Gr 4—The author and illustrator of Bring Me Some Apples and I'll Make You a Pie (Clarion, 2009) returns with another book that celebrates the joys of gardening and sharing healthy foods with others. Beginning with an introduction to the White House and its grounds, Gourley then describes some of the children who have lived there and the ways in which they used the outdoor space. A portrait of the Obama family introduces the section on gardening for food at the White House, from John Adams in 1800 through Eleanor Roosevelt in 1943. The narrative then turns to Michelle Obama and how she invited children from nearby schools to help prepare the soil, plant, cultivate, and ultimately cook and eat the produce; how the White House chefs became involved in the process; and how food from the First Garden now helps feed the Obamas as well as people at a Washington, DC, homeless shelter. General advice on home gardening and healthy eating is provided at the end of the book, and some White House recipes are included. With many schools developing instructional gardening spaces and an overall growing awareness of the problem of childhood obesity, this book fulfills many needs. The watercolor illustrations depict diverse groups of people gardening and enjoying eating together. The fruits and vegetables look so delicious, they may well inspire a child to plant some seeds or partake of a new food. A beautiful and timely addition.—Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA

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