Quiet in the Garden (Hardcover)

~ (Author, Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1—An artful introduction to nature, stillness, and the power of observation. A wide-eyed boy enters a garden replete with fluttering butterflies, birds, and blooming trees, all rich with color. "I sit quietly. If I am very still, I see more." He also hears sounds: "chirp, squeak, crunch." A robin eats red berries from a bush, a turtle munches moss, a lizard snaps up a moth, and so on. Animals small and large question motives as each one finds its meal: "The frog hopped up and caught a gnat. Why did you do that? asked a fish. I was hungry, said the frog, and I didn't want to eat you." Learning by observing and listening to the creatures in turn, the boy finally gathers a meal of apples, berries, carrots, and more for a picnic with his friends-the myriad creatures. With spare words and a balance of line and color against white backgrounds framed with lacey branches, Aliki deftly portrays the benefits of observing nature. Back matter tells how to grow a "quiet" garden. This book is perfect for reading aloud: "The squirrel crunched on an acorn. Why did you do that? asked the spider. Ah-wa-wan-gwy, said the squirrel, crunching away."—Marian Creamer, Children's Literature Alive, Portland, OR
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From Booklist

“I love to go out in the garden,” says a young boy, who describes what he sees and hears when he sits still in his lush backyard. The quiet garden, it turns out, is teeming with life, and the boy imagines noisy conversations among the small animals he observes. After a robin nibbles berries on a bush, for example, a snail asks, “Why did you do that?” “I was hungry,” the robin replies. That question and answer becomes a rhythmic refrain, subtly introducing food-chain concepts in dialogue between pairs of animals. Finally, the boy realizes that he, too, is hungry, and after gathering vegetables and fruit, he shares a picnic with his animal friends. Young children will delight in the detailed pictures, rendered in watercolor, crayon, and ink, which contrast expansive aerial views of the garden with close-up scenes of the boy, surrounded by flowering plants and small companions. The words’ lulling repetition creates a subtle, meditative tone that reinforces the message: quiet observation can reveal an exciting, “anything-but-quiet” world. Preschool-Kindergarten. --Gillian Engberg

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books (February 3, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061552070
• ISBN-13: 978-0061552076
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 9.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #277,291 in Books (See Bestsellers 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 A wonderful read for little ones who are fascinated by nature, May 13, 2009

By	z hayes (plano,texas) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

"Quiet in the Garden" is one of those soothing reads that lulls both parent and child into a quiet state of reflection. The story centers around a little boy who likes going out into the garden and observing the nature around him. The illustrations by author Aliki are gorgeous, awash in vivid colors, and portraying the garden in all its resplendent glory - there's even a little lesson on what the different animals and insects eat tucked into each picture.The last page contains some handy tips for little ones interested in cultivating their own 'quiet' garden. Recommended for preschoolers-2nd grade.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How does your garden grow (and sound)?, March 30, 2009

By	Reader Views "www.readerviews.com" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

Reviewed by Grayce Richardson (age 5) for Reader Views (3/09)

"This picture (on the book's cover) reminds me of Texas Bluebonnets. I like the little boy and his rabbit. This book is six stars. He had a picnic and I want to make my own garden. I like butterflies. I like how the animals asked questions. I want to plant my own flowers. Mom, can we do it after school tomorrow?"

Parent's Note:

I was instantly captivated by the cover illustration and the rest of the book did not disappoint. The book has several things to offer children. The boy tells the overall story of what being quiet in the garden lets him hear and see. All sorts of insects and animals make their home in the garden and they have little conversations with each other, serving as sub-text to the main story. Additionally, Aliki uses a lot of onomatopoeia to capture the sounds he hears, which I love. Those three aspects of "Quiet in the Garden" really enrich it for the child's overall experience. And best yet, at the end, he has a page dedicated to planting a garden, written for child understanding. Nicely done.

5.0 out of 5 stars The watching, listening little boy and Aliki's charming illustrations encourage the young child to revel in his or her own quiet, October 10, 2009

By	D. Fowler "Dragonfly77" (Vermont) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The garden is a beautiful place where the wide-eyed boy love to play in. There were birds, flowers, little vegetable plots, a place to read, a little fish pond with a koi fish swimming around and even a bunny hiding behind a flower pot. It was a magical place to be. If he is quiet, he can hear and see many more things.

"I am so quiet, I even hear sound around me-
chirp, squeak, crunch.
I can almost hear a butterfly flutter by.
I sit and listen."

A robin flew down to snatch berries from a bush. A snail chomp, chomped away at leaves. A butterfly flitted around the flowers. The little boy saw it all. Worms and bug squiggled along the ground and the wide-eyed squirrel crunched his nuts and saw them. The little boy was watching and listening and saw many interesting things when he was quiet in the garden. What kinds of things do you hear and see when you are quiet?

The watching, listening little boy and Aliki's charming illustrations encourage the young child to revel in his or her own quiet time. An illustrated page in the back encourages children to make their own "quiet" gardens. This is a perfect quiet/circle time book to read and discuss. Oops . . . do I hear something?