Picture Book Review by Armineh Manookian – The Garden We Share
THE GARDEN WE SHARE
Written by Zoë Tucker
Illustrated by Julianna Swaney
(NorthSouth Books; $18.95; Ages 4-8)
Seasons bring change–in the garden and in life–in author Zoë Tucker and illustrator Julianna Swaney’s tender, intergenerational story, The Garden We Share, about love, loss, and hope.
Walking into a community garden on a crisp spring morning, a little girl and her elderly friend plant seeds, “each little dot full of hope and promise.” Elderly friends join in to help and share each other’s company as they pass the time together, waiting patiently until the plants finally “burst into life” and the garden is “a riot of color.” Swaney’s soothing palette of olive greens, mustard yellows, peachy reds, and poppy-pumpkin oranges provides spaces filled with warmth and comfort.
Sometimes relaxing under the sun and sometimes busy with garden work, the little girl and her friend take their treasures into the kitchen, processing the beautiful bounty they’ve collected–all of which culminates into a jubilant feast for the whole community.
As the season grows cold, petals “fall, and colors fade,” the little girl’s special friend is sadly “gone.” All she’s left with are the seeds of last season’s crops. But as the spring season returns anew, those “tiny dots” she plants spring up “big memories” of patience, stewardship, and fellowship.
With quiet and calming overtones, The Garden We Share invites gentle conversations about death while lovingly cultivating a spirit of hope.
- Reviewed by Armineh Manookian