The Imaginary Garden

K-Gr 2-Theo's Poppa's new apartment has no garden, and the windy balcony does not promise to be a good growing spot. But Theo proposes an imaginary garden, and she and her grandfather begin to fill a large blank canvas with a stone wall for the vines to climb on, early springtime flowers, and a visiting robin. When Poppa goes off on a trip, the painting project becomes Theo's; the garden bursts into bloom as she employs her memory, imagination, and a palette of vibrant colors. She even remembers to paint herself into the scene. The lively artwork is rendered in pen and ink and multimedia collage. The warmth of the grandparent/grandchild relationship is evident but, unfortunately, readers never witness Poppa's return and see his joy at Theo's creation. A book that more successfully shows a child as both gardener and healer is Sarah Stewart's The Gardener (Farrar, 1997). Nonetheless, this is a sweet and visually appealing addition for seasonal and gardening units.

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with Permission. 

More than the gardening or even the flowers, the dance of imagination between grandfather and grandchild is sweetly filigreed across the pages. (Picture book. 4-8)

The lively pen, ink, and collage illustrations reflect the story's loving intergenerational relationship and show step-by-step how the two cultivate their imaginations.