Joanna Gaines is the co-founder of Magnolia, a New York Times
bestselling author, editor-in-chief of Magnolia Journal, and
creator and co-owner of Magnolia Network.
Born in Kansas and raised in the Lone Star State, Jo graduated from
Baylor University with a degree in Communications. It was an
internship in New York City that prompted her desire to discover
how she could create beauty for people. In a big city unknown to
her, Jo always felt most at home whenever she stepped inside the
cozy and thoughtfully curated boutique shops, which inspired her to
open a shop of her own in Waco, Texas.
Alongside her passion for design and food, nothing inspires Jo more
than time spent at home with Chip and their five kids.
Julianna Swaney is an illustrator whose work is inspired by
whimsical details of daily life and the fairy tales she loved
reading as a child. She grew up home-schooled, which allowed free
range for her imagination and interests in folklore, nature, and
history. She lives in Portland, Oregon, where she illustrates
children's books and works in her garden. Her delicate
illustrations are created using watercolour, gouache, and coloured
pencil.
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.
*School Library Journal Online*
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*
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