It's time to shoutout another book birthday! This one hits the shelves early next week, so I might be a bit early, but is it ever too early to celebrate? Plus, this book looks like an ideal read for Spring. The huge amount of flowers on the cover and bird and butterflies...yep, definite Spring vibes. And isn't it wonderful to walk into a blooming, overfilled garden? Or at least, I think that's what this one is about.
Let's sit down, open it up, and find out!
THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE
by Sharon Rose
Illustrated by Erin Brown
The Collective Book Studio
Picture Book
32 pages
ages 4 to 8
COMING APRIL 7th!!!
A classic story for the modern era, Through the Garden Gate is a beautifully illustrated picture book that takes readers on a journey from the mundane to the magical, exploring the wonders of the garden through a child’s imagination.
Miles is bored one summer’s day—until a visit to a neighbor leads to a surprising a mysterious garden gate—and the adventure of a lifetime. What begins as an ordinary afternoon transforms into a magical journey filled with fairies, curious critters, and the most enchanting plants.
Every plant Miles encounters is based on real-life flora, carefully and accurately illustrated by Erin Brown. Readers can learn more about them in the back of the book, too!
Written by debut author and renowned garden designer Sharon Rose, Through the Garden Gate will take root in your imagination, delighting young readers and reminding us all of the magic that lives in the garden.
Miles is bored one summer’s day—until a visit to a neighbor leads to a surprising a mysterious garden gate—and the adventure of a lifetime. What begins as an ordinary afternoon transforms into a magical journey filled with fairies, curious critters, and the most enchanting plants.
Every plant Miles encounters is based on real-life flora, carefully and accurately illustrated by Erin Brown. Readers can learn more about them in the back of the book, too!
Written by debut author and renowned garden designer Sharon Rose, Through the Garden Gate will take root in your imagination, delighting young readers and reminding us all of the magic that lives in the garden.
MY TIDBITS
The wonders of a garden come to life with a touch of fantasy to create a read which inspires and offers something to learn.
Miles is a bit bored and isn't convinced helping the neighbor pull weeds will be exciting, but thanks to a broken leg, the neighbor needs the help. The moment he enters her yard, he meets baby chicks, a dog, and more. Soon, he's learned how to clear crab grass and discovers a tiny door buried behind the weeds in the garden wall. The neighbor encourages him to explore beyond the door when his work is done, which he does. But when he opens the door, he discovers more than just a beautiful place. He meets a bit of magic, too.
The illustrations bring the garden with its flowers and animals to life. Every page is colorful and packed with small details to make gazing enjoyable. The illustrator has also taken time to keep each plant truer to reality, so that readers can learn more along the way. Even the magical moments meld wonderfully into the scenes and will have readers wishing they could spend time in the garden with Miles themselves.
The text is very fitting for a read-aloud during story time and also makes a lovely read for beginner readers, who are mostly sure of their words. It does hold a little more text than some picture books, but the story flows nicely and offers a complete adventure. While the first section lets the reader visit the neighbor's yard and get to know a bit about the plants as Miles pulls the weeds, the rest shifts into a fantastical mini-adventure with animals and more plants to learn about. The plant facts meld with the adventure to make sure that the learning takes place subtly on the side. And the adventure holds tons of goodness as friendship, working together, and helping others comes into play. So, it's a well-rounded read.
The end of the book holds a type of glossary where the main plants are shown again along with a short description about each one. This makes it also useful for themes surrounding plants and gardens or for other activities.
And here they are...
Sharon Rose is an award-winning garden designer and environmental artist based in San Francisco, California. She is the founder and owner of STUDIO SF Landscape Design, established in 2018, where she specializes in revitalizing natural landscapes and crafting distinctive garden spaces. With over two decades of experience and deep expertise in California native and Mediterranean plants, her work has been featured in Architectural Digest, Sunset Magazine, and Luxe Interiors + Design. In her free time, she enjoys gardening and inspiring children to discover the magic and wonder of plants.
Erin Brown is an award winning Northern Irish illustrator who lives and works on the beautiful island of Jersey. After graduating university with a bachelors degree in Fine Art, a passion for stories and children’s books took hold. She combines her love for hand drawn lines and traditional techniques with the flexibility and freedom of adding colour digitally. She has worked with clients all over the world but particularly loves illustrating Irish stories and folklore. Her love of stories comes from her Grandad who lived by the sea and was always ready with a tale or two. When she’s not working in her tiny studio, she can be found baking something overly sweet, exploring the forests and cliff paths of Jersey or down at the sea shore, watching the tide roll in.
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