Books

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Available from Candlewick/Penguin Random House

Celia Planted a Garden

THE STORY OF CELIA THAXTER AND HER ISLAND GARDEN

By Phyllis Root and Gary D. Schmidt
Illustrated by Melissa Sweet

From an all-star team comes a lyrical picture-book biography about a writer and master gardener who created beauty in a harsh island habitat that was visited by literary and artistic luminaries of her time.

Celia Thaxter grew up on a desolate island off the coast of Maine, where her father worked as lighthouse keeper. Amid the white and gray of the sea, the rocks, and even the birds, young Celia found color where she could: green mosses and purple starfish and pink morning glories by the shore. And she planted her first garden, tucking bright marigolds between rocky ledges. When she was twelve, Celia’s family moved to nearby Appledore Island, where her father built a large hotel, and Celia planted a bigger, ever-growing garden with nearly sixty types of flowers, from asters to wisteria.

Guests flocked to the hotel from around the world, among them such writers as Longfellow, Whittier, and Hawthorne. Celia had been writing poems about the island, her garden, and the sea, and they would be printed in magazines and books, making her a foremother of writing about nature. Now, for the first time, Celia Planted a Garden showcases her life and work, in a poetic, vividly imagined picture book from a team of two authors and an illustrator, each recipients of numerous awards. More about Celia Thaxter, including a rich time line and bibliography, awaits readers in the back matter.

PRESS:

Root and Schmidt describe Celia’s seasonal activities with great admiration, carefully naming the flower and bird species to which she felt so deeply connected. Sweet’s lush, detailed watercolor, gouache, and mixed-media illustrations greatly enhance the text. . . . A splendid introduction to a lesser-known nature poet and the landscapes that inspired her. —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

The quiet, precise text tells of a person who brought beauty to a barren place. . . Sweet’s vivid, beautifully crafted illustrations capture the story’s period setting and quiet, reflective subject. This handsome picture-book biography will resonate with those who love flower gardens and long for the sea. —Booklist

Vivid nature writing infuses this picture book biography of New England artist and poet Celia Thaxter (1835–1894). . . . In mixed media, Sweet showcases florals on every page, weaving in quotes from Thaxter’s own writing. —Publishers Weekly

Read more on the News & Press page

More Books :

Begin with a Bee

Illustrated by Claudia McGehee
University of Minnesota Press, 2021

Available from U of MN Press

Begin with a Bee and its story of the life of one queen bee, a rusty-patched bumblebee, teaches us not only about bees but also about our own responsibilities in the natural world,

Looking closely at the life cycle of one bee, this book helps readers of all ages understand and appreciate the contributions and significance of all bees. The queen bee’s life unfolds through captivating illustrations, while the authors impart the poetry and basic science of the rusty-patched bumblebee, the first bee to appear on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Endangered Species list.

PRESS:

“The real queen in this colony is the striking artwork . . . Close-ups of the bees alternate with views of a lush countryside and its other denizens. It’s an inviting book on any shelf, and the story is concise enough for longer storytimes. Educators, caregivers, and young readers will all be buzzing with delight. This book is the bee’s knees.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

A handsome introduction to an endangered bumblebee. — Booklist

Extraordinary book, with illustrations created in earth tones and similar to Mary Azarian’s wood cuts, shows us exactly what the bees’ life is like above and below ground. Three well-known authors give us the complete life history of this bee. — Youth Services Book Review

The Lost Forest

Illustrated by Betsy Bowen
University of Minnesota Press, 2019

Available from U of MN Press
Available from Amazon

“Finely wrought plainspoken poetry (“If you have ever walked through the woods/ you know that the land doesn’t care/ about straight lines”) covers a lot of ground, supplemented by end notes explaining the ecology of old-growth forests and the history of surveyors. Bowen’s moody, saturated illustrations of layered landscapes and historical journals add heft to the text’s implicit message that the natural world is something more than a measurable commodity.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“An engaging consideration of happy accidents and lucky environmental mistakes.”
—KIRKUS REVIEWS

“The writing is engaging, telling a true story and inviting us to use all of our senses to explore the story. Betsy Bowen’s illustrations cause us to linger, examining each page carefully.”

— Bookology Magazine (review and interview)

Anywhere Farm

Illustrated by G. Brian Karas
Candlewick Press 2017

Available from Penguin Random House
Available from Amazon

“This must-have picture book will be especially beneficial for school units on plants and seeds and for library storytimes with a spring or gardening theme.”
—SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (starred review)

“The joyful text makes growing flowers and vegetables seem easy, showing plants spilling out of alternative containers as well as more traditional raised beds and the concluding, large garden plot.”
—KIRKUS REVIEWS