Princess Chamomile's Garden [Hardcover]

Hiawyn Oram (Author), Susan Varley (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 22, 2000 | Age Level: 3 and up

The plucky heroine of Princess Chamomile Gets Her Way finds out that really helping Melchior the gardener tend to the roses and the tulips is really hard work! She has dirt in her ears and dirt under her nails, and her dress is almost as muddy as Melchior's overalls. The garden is entirely too big--she needs a garden that is just her size, just her sort. Taking crayon in paw, the determined mouse princess sets out to plan the perfect garden, complete with a good hopscotch area, bushes for playing hide-and-seek, and, of course, a Reading Quietly place. When the king, queen, and Nanny Nettle--unsure about this not-quite-princesslike garden plan--finally give in, Chamomile and Melchior get to work. After months of cementing and hoeing, potting and planting, watering and growing, Chamomile's garden is finally ready--and as wonderful as she had imagined!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-The clever little mouse who made her debut in Princess Chamomile Gets Her Way (Dutton, 1999) is back. The diminutive princess enjoys helping Melchior in the kitchen gardens, learning "how to tell the difference between the weeds that were to be pulled and the little plants that weren't," but the work is too hard, so she decides what she really needs is "more of a my-sort-of garden." The energetic rodent sets to work, drawing out exactly what her very own garden needs, including "Wildflowers for lots of butterflies" and, of course, a "reading quietly place." Her only obstacle is convincing the queen and her nanny, who thinks that "gardening is not princesslike." As soon as they agree, Melchior and the princess get to work. Finally, Chamomile announces that the creation "isn't just my sort of garden. It's everyone's sort of garden-." A good choice to read alone or aloud, this well-paced story illustrated with detailed pastel watercolors, including a drawing of Chamomile's plan and final three-page foldout, will have readers thinking that Chamomile's garden is their sort of garden, too.
Margaret Rhoades, Orange County Library System, Orlando, FL
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile (May 22, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525463879
• ISBN-13: 978-0525463870
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,126,057 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Princess Grows a Garden, August 31, 2000

By 

Dotty2000 (Culver City, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Princess Chamomile's Garden (Hardcover)

Princess Chamomile may be a princess but she doesn't mind getting dirty! Princess Chamomile and Milchoir (the gardener) plant a garden designed by the Princess. It takes a long time to create the garden - but it is worth the wait. This book is great for readers from 7 years and up and is a great book for all people interested in gardens and princesses! My favorite part of the story is when Princess Chamomile admits that she didn't play the piano well because she was day-dreaming. Knowing that someone else feels that way may let kids understand that a little whimsey instead of perfection is perfectly okay. It is also a good story to teach patience - and that good things take a while to come true. The illustrations are perky and fit the charm of the story. This is a delightful book and a good way to get students back into the swing of reading for this school year.