Flower Garden [Hardcover]

Eve Bunting (Author), Kathryn Hewitt (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 29, 1994 | Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

“An urban African-American girl and her father buy plants, potting soil, and a window box at the supermarket, ride the bus to their apartment, and put together a colorful gift for the child’s mother. Rhyming verse carries the brief story, while wonderful, warm, full-color illustrations present scenes from novel angles, and depict a loving family with a sense of intimacy, sincerity, and joy.”--School Library Journal

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A plot about creating a windowbox garden scarcely portends the appeal of this lyrical, ebullient book. On a spring day in an urban neighborhood, a girl and her father visit the supermarket: "Garden in a shopping cart / Doesn't it look great? / Garden on the checkout stand / I can hardly wait." The youngster's anticipation grows as the duo travels home--walking down the street, riding the bus, climbing the apartment house stairs--all the while guarding their flowers. Without contrivance or strain, Bunting's verse evokes the universal yet unexpected felicity of blooming color, and the author throws in a happy surprise at the end: the "garden box" is a birthday present for the girl's mother. Hewitt's intimate, oil paintings gain power through imaginative use of perspective and clean simplicity. The illustrations include just enough detail to prime side observations from pre-readers and still keep the focus on the verse. Fresh as a daisy. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 1-A comforting, richly illustrated story about a birthday surprise. An urban African-American girl and her father buy plants, potting soil, and a window box at the supermarket, ride the bus to their apartment, and put together a colorful gift for the child's mother. Rhyming verse carries the brief story, while wonderful, warm, full-color illustrations present scenes from novel angles, and depict a loving family with a sense of intimacy, sincerity, and joy. A reassuring choice for reading aloud.
Barbara Peklo Abrahams, Oneida City Schools, Manlius, NY
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1st edition (April 29, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152287760
• ISBN-13: 978-0152287764
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 8.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,196,616 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Eve Bunting has written more than 200 books for children, many of which can be found in libraries around the world. Her other Clarion titles for very young readers include My Big Boy Bed, which was also illustrated by Maggie Smith, and Little Bear's Little Boat, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. She lives in Pasadena, California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars bright colors,wonderful story for all ages, October 10, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Flower Garden (Hardcover)

my pre-school class found the book to be very exciting and could'nt wait for me to turn the next page.the bright colors of the cover and pages were so liking a good childrens book,that we planted a garden like described in the book.i have had parents ask where can they get this wonderful book for their own child. we really enjoyed it!this book described a family so close and loving,you can't help but smell the flowers and feel the love in that household.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Beautiful Lovely, February 11, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Flower Garden (Paperback)

We have a two-year-old daughter who picks this book out every day and every night to read. The illustrations are breathtaking. The story is simple but relevant; we follow every detail as the father and daughter walk the city street and ride the bus. We love to watch the daughter planting the flowers with her father; the mother coming home from school to see her birthday surprise. I have no doubt that this book will be with us for another generation or more (at least in our house). Thank you to the two wonderful artists who created such a special book.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Simple, Beautiful Story of a Strong Family, May 21, 2009

By 

Shanna A. Gonzalez "eyelevelbooks.com" (Gaithersburg, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flower Garden (Paperback)

A very simple, beautifully illustrated story, told in gentle rhyme, of a young girl and her father embarking on a journey by bus to the grocery store to buy a window flower box. The purpose of the expedition is revealed when Mother walks in the door, carrying schoolbooks, to find the flowers, birthday cake and chocolate ice cream. The book ends with an image of the family cozily looking out the window over the flowers, which present a small oasis of beauty in a gray urban world.

This is a lovely depiction of a loving family spending their limited means extravagantly in an expression of love. The way this father includes his daughter in the project of honoring Mother's birthday expresses excellent leadership, good child training, and tenderness toward his wife. Implicit is the fact that this family works hard, with limited means, and that beauty means a great deal to them.