Cecil's Garden [Hardcover]

Holly Keller (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 19, 2002 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Jake carried the hoe. Posey brought the watering can. And Cecil held the seeds. It was time to plant the garden. But then the trouble started. No one could agree on what to plant, and soon it was too hot to work. Sadly, Cecil went off to visit the neighbors.

Sometimes all it takes is a little time away from your family to see that you are really pretty lucky. When Cecil went home, he knew how to solve the garden problem. And when harvest time came, there was no disagreement at all!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The grass isn't always greener, family-wise, Cecil the rabbit discovers. Frustrated that he and his two siblings can't agree on what to plant in their garden, he visits other animal families and realizes that things could be worse. Whenever the Mouse family wants to take a bath, for instance, they fill up the bathtub with so many toys that the mice themselves cannot fit; they can't agree on which ones to throw out and dump out the water instead. "We all fit. But we don't get very clean," grouses one of the mice to Cecil. Inspired by this and another negative example of a mole family that can't agree on when to wake up, Cecil returns to his home and figures out how his family can plant the garden and reap its bounty so "There is nothing to quarrel about and we don't have to waste another minute." Keller's (Horace; Brave Horace) ink-and-watercolor illustrations possess a sophisticated color sensibility even as they play up the implicit comedy in the situations. Her narrative underscores a universal message of how things can grind to a halt when the argument itself becomes more important than what's being fought over. Ages 4-up.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

reSchool-Kindergarten--Cecil cannot wait until he is able to plant a garden with Jake and Posey. It's a perfect day to begin-until the three rabbit friends arrive at the plot. Then the arguments start. There is only room for five vegetables and they have six packets of seeds. Which one should go? Or, which two should be planted together? Instead of solving the problem, the three argue. Soon, it's too hot to work and they go home. Disappointed at the day's events, Cecil decides to visit his mice and mole pals, but finds each group embroiled in its own arguments with no one willing to compromise. After witnessing their disagreements, Cecil decides to take control of the gardening situation and comes up with the perfect solution. At harvest time the rabbit friends enjoy bountiful produce. As for the argumentative mice and moles-unable to compromise, they miss out on a savory garden stew. The full- and half-page watercolor pictures add life to the characters and story and clearly demonstrate why Cecil's solution works so well.
Karen Scott, Valley Intermediate School, Pelham, AL
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books (February 19, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060295937
• ISBN-13: 978-0060295936
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,971,314 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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