Elem. – Miguel’s Community Garden

Brown-Wood, JaNay. Miguel’s Community Garden. Illustrated by Samara Hardy. Peachtree Books, 2022. 978-1-682-63166-9. $16.99. Unpaged. Grades K-3.

It is a beautiful day in an urban neighborhood, and Miguel’s two dads take him to the community garden. A sign shows they are here for a community picnic with their friends, but first, Miguel wants to see the sunflowers. While searching for the cheerful plant, the little boy becomes acquainted with the different vegetables grown in the plot. Illustrator, Samara Hardy, generates the vibrant activity of a garden in the many double-page spreads awash in a palette of greens, browns, reds, and oranges. Her childlike style depicts chubby-faced children of all colors and abilities, brightly detailed garden animals and exaggerated close ups of various vegetables, some not as familiar to most young children. A bee cavorts from page to page leading the reader toward the sunflower. This teachable picture book focuses on the clearly outlined drawings and the simple, explanatory text describing how these food staples grow and how to recognize them: apricots, artichokes, cherries, mulberries, spinach, asparagus, mushrooms, celery, peppers. Author JaNay Brown-Wood holds a doctorate in Education with a specialty in Child Development. Her writing style evidences her expertise. Teachers of primary grades starting units on nutrition or community will find this pleasant read engaging for students. Beginning readers, too, will benefit from the repetition and pattern in the text.

THOUGHTS: Miguel’s Community Garden reminded me so much of DyAnne DiSalvo’s (Ryan) thirty-year old book, City Green in look and theme. Brown-Wood’s book, though, shows a deliberate use of metacognition. Both a pattern book and informative, young readers can build reading skills and learn valuable facts about food.

Realistic Fiction          Bernadette Cooke, School District of Philadelphia

Elem. – Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood

Hillery, Tony, and Jessie Hartland. Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood. Simon & Shuster Books for Young Readers, 2020. 978-1-534-40231-7. Unpaged. $17.99. Grades K-2.

Food deserts are real inner city problems for some, but a food oasis can grow with opportunity and effort. Such is the case in Harlem, where a run down and empty lot across from PS 175 elementary school became something more. With the author, Tony Hillery’s inspiration, volunteers helped clear the land, create a garden space, and grow a community closer together. With some learning and further developing the space, they created a rainbow of vegetables, fruits, and herbs which could be harvested and used by the local families. The story is simple and true, with easy to read aloud text and colorful gouache illustrations to keep youngsters attention. With endnotes and extra resources, this meaningful dream became reality to those who needed to see something good grown in an urban farm.

THOUGHTS: The process and steps from farm to table are quickly taken for granted by many, in both urban and rural areas. Researching where food comes from and travels to reach a market is a valuable citizenship lesson. This book could inspire many other community gardens to grow!

635 Agriculture          Dustin Brackbill, State College Area SD

Young Naveah attends school at PS 175 in Harlem, across from an abandoned lot so filled with clutter that she thinks of it as “the haunted garden.” Mr. Tony volunteers at the school and decides to make a change which will impact the lot, the kids, and the community. Mr. Tony invites Naveah along with other students to participate in the building, planting, and tending of a youth garden. Together, they plant four hundred seedlings to represent each of the children who help. Things get off to a good start until Naveah notices her plants wilting. With a growth mindset attitude, Mr. Tony helps the community try again, this time building raised beds. Finally, locally grown produce makes its way to the family dinner table. Gouache illustrations throughout add vibrance to the story, particularly with spreads showing the transformation from a littered gray lot to bustling green space. Both of the main characters are Brown-skinned and wear glasses. While Navaeh styles her hair in braids with a variety of bows and barrettes, Mr. Tony is bald except for his beard. Neighborhood scenes depict a diverse array of community members. Based on the true story of  Harlem Grown, a farm which has provided thousands of pounds of food to youth and families in Harlem without charge. Backmatter includes a letter from the author and Founder Tony Hillery, a step-by-step guide to starting a garden, and a list of additional resources.

THOUGHTS: A nice read aloud introduction to community gardening and overview of Harlem Grown for young learners.

Picture Book          Jackie Fulton, Mt. Lebanon SD
635 Agriculture