JUNE 2019 - AudioFile
What better way to learn about the joys of gardening than to hear members of a family sharing their experience? Meet the Gaineses, who had no experience with growing things when they started with “Fern Number One” and then moved on to a houseful, and then to a “yardful” of plants. Along the way, this family shares both the science and practicality of gardening; for example, overhydration equals “too many drinks for a little plant.” As listeners learn the basics of gardening, exuberance and enthusiasm shine in the narrators. The pacing and inflection are varied as the production bounces quickly from speaker to speaker. Meet garden heroes (ladybugs) and villains (aphids), composters (worms) and bullies (weeds), and ponder sage tips (“trying and failing and trying again”). A.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
03/25/2019
Persistence and teamwork pay off in this picture book debut by the costar (with husband Chip Gaines) of HGTV’s Fixer Upper, who recounts her family’s gardening exploits. Relayed in the communal voice of four Gaines offspring, the narrative retains its chirpiness even when things go awry, as when the very first plant their father buys—a wispy fern—droops and dies, a victim of the kids’ overzealous watering efforts (“death by overhydration”). In pastel-hued pictures, Swaney (Mermaid School) underscores the young gardeners’ good intentions as they line up, each holding a watering can, to do their part, but they soon acknowledge that “by mistake, we loved that plant to death.” A replacement fern sips from a teacup after library books teach the children that “most plants have good manners and like to sip, not gulp.” The family eventually moves their garden outdoors, where their diligence yields bountiful vegetables and flowers, charmingly depicted in the art, despite occasional interference by villainous insects and “sneaky” animal trespassers. The arrival of a new baby boosts the feel-good quotient of this book about hard work and “everyday miracles,” a surefire hit with the Gaines family’s followers. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)
Booklist
The trials, tribulations, and joys of gardening are brought to light in this entertaining tale of one family's introduction to caring for indoor plants and using that know-how in a garden, from Joanna Gaines of HGTV's Fixer Upper fame. Beginning with a fern that dies after being over-loved and over-watered, four children and their parents study up on what plants require: light, water, and a bit of conversation. Once they feel ready, the family works together to design a fruit, vegetable, and flower garden. As the plot takes shape, the family gains knowledge about seeds, garden critters—both good (worms and ladybugs) and bad (aphids)—and pollinators, including hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. Though the family has some trouble with animals eating their produce, they remember that 'every failure or setback teaches us something.' Delicately detailed and engaging illustrations deftly follow the garden's progress. Packed with useful information in an easy-to-understand format, this will help children, and their adults, who wish to venture into the world of growing some of their own food and flowers.
Booklist
The trials, tribulations, and joys of gardening are brought to light in this entertaining tale of one family's introduction to caring for indoor plants and using that know-how in a garden, from Joanna Gaines of HGTV's Fixer Upper fame. Beginning with a fern that dies after being over-loved and over-watered, four children and their parents study up on what plants require: light, water, and a bit of conversation. Once they feel ready, the family works together to design a fruit, vegetable, and flower garden. As the plot takes shape, the family gains knowledge about seeds, garden critters—both good (worms and ladybugs) and bad (aphids)—and pollinators, including hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. Though the family has some trouble with animals eating their produce, they remember that 'every failure or setback teaches us something.' Delicately detailed and engaging illustrations deftly follow the garden's progress. Packed with useful information in an easy-to-understand format, this will help children, and their adults, who wish to venture into the world of growing some of their own food and flowers.
Booklist Maryann Owen
The trials, tribulations, and joys of gardening are brought to light in this entertaining tale of one family's introduction to caring for indoor plants and using that know-how in a garden, from Joanna Gaines of HGTV's Fixer Upper fame. Beginning with a fern that dies after being over-loved and over-watered, four children and their parents study up on what plants require: light, water, and a bit of conversation. Once they feel ready, the family works together to design a fruit, vegetable, and flower garden. As the plot takes shape, the family gains knowledge about seeds, garden critters--both good (worms and ladybugs) and bad (aphids)--and pollinators, including hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. Though the family has some trouble with animals eating their produce, they remember that 'every failure or setback teaches us something.' Delicately detailed and engaging illustrations deftly follow the garden's progress. Packed with useful information in an easy-to-understand format, this will help children, and their adults, who wish to venture into the world of growing some of their own food and flowers.
School Library Journal
08/09/2019
Gr 1–3-Plants and flowers may grow with abandon in nature, but gardening is no easy task. In this book about learning from failure, one family discovers what it takes to care for many kinds of plants. Four children want to see a small potted fern grow; they water it, give it plenty of sun, and even talk to it. Before long, however, the fern perishes owing to its less than ideal conditions. The children turn to the library and read as much as they can about what ferns need to thrive. They try again with a second fern, and they do much better, adding more plants until their garden grows so vast that it needs to be moved outside. Readers will learn a great deal about gardens, from seeds to pollinators to soil dwellers. Even when it is hard or when things do not go as the children would like, they persevere in the face of adversity. Pastel-colored images evoke spring, bringing the garden to vibrant life. VERDICT Elementary school students learning about gardens and the importance of persistence will enjoy this story.-Mary Lanni, formerly of Denver Public Library
JUNE 2019 - AudioFile
What better way to learn about the joys of gardening than to hear members of a family sharing their experience? Meet the Gaineses, who had no experience with growing things when they started with “Fern Number One” and then moved on to a houseful, and then to a “yardful” of plants. Along the way, this family shares both the science and practicality of gardening; for example, overhydration equals “too many drinks for a little plant.” As listeners learn the basics of gardening, exuberance and enthusiasm shine in the narrators. The pacing and inflection are varied as the production bounces quickly from speaker to speaker. Meet garden heroes (ladybugs) and villains (aphids), composters (worms) and bullies (weeds), and ponder sage tips (“trying and failing and trying again”). A.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
