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The Curious Garden (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
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  • This item: The Curious Garden by Peter Brown

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

One boy's quest for a greener world... one garden at a time.

While out exploring one day, a little boy named Liam discovers a struggling garden and decides to take care of it. As time passes, the garden spreads throughout the dark, gray city, transforming it into a lush, green world.

This is an enchanting tale with environmental themes and breathtaking illustrations that become more vibrant as the garden blooms. Red-headed Liam can also be spotted on every page, adding a clever seek-and-find element to this captivating picture book.


About the Author

Peter Brown is a graduate of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA and now lives in Brooklyn, NY. His Web site is www.somebrownstuff.com.

Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 4-8
  • Hardcover: 40 pages
  • Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (April 1, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0316015474
  • ISBN-13: 978-0316015479
  • Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.5 x 0.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 15.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,182 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

    #1 in  Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Nature > Gardening > Fiction
    #2 in  Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Where We Live > City Life > Fiction
    #6 in  Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Nature > Fiction

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More About the Author

Peter Brown
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Customer Reviews

21 Reviews
5 star:
 (17)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (21 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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40 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Book Review: The Curious Garden, April 9, 2009
Hello! My name is Mr. Message. You probably know me from my countless appearances in books, especially the "for children" variety. It's my job to expose a universal truth or support a cause. Sometimes I even tell the reader how they should act. As you may know, I can be controversial.

Sometimes, people get upset when authors make it really clear that I'm coming to the party. They put me front and center, and the story takes a back seat. Hey, I can be preachy if that's what the author wants! I don't always raise a stink, though. Occasionally, authors cleverly sneak me into a story, making as little disruption as possible. The reader hardly knows I'm there.

Then you have an author like Peter Brown (Chowder, Flight of the Dodo) and his book The Curious Garden. In this book I tell kids that caring for the environment makes a better world. Peter somehow manages to to make me the center of attention, yet not so preachy that it feels like readers are learning a lesson. There's a kind of take-it-or-leave-it nonchalance that I quite like.

The story is about a red-haired boy named Liam. He lives in a dreary town without a plant to speak of. No trees, no flowers, nothing but cement and smog. One day Liam happens upon a staircase which leads to the abandoned railroad tracks. What our hero discovers there changes his life. He finds plants. It's not much - some sad looking grass and a few flowers on their deathbeds, but Liam decides to nurse them back to health. As they get better, the vegetation begins to spread, and soon other folks begin to follow Liam's lead. After a while the town, once dingy and gray, is transformed.

While Peter did a great job adding me to the story, his acrylic and gouache illustrations really steal the show. The man is a master of perspective, always choosing the right angle to add life to the story. The beating heart of this book is right in the middle. Two wordless two-page spreads show the amazing growth of Liam's garden. In fact, the illustrations are such that this book would function pretty well were it completely wordless.

While I, Mr. Message, would love to take sole credit for the success of The Curious Garden, more praise should go to Mr. Brown, who created beautiful images, tamed my preachy side, and crafted a lovely story.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this book..., March 22, 2009
The "curious garden" is absolutely beautiful as it wends it's way around a drab, brown city. My 4 year old son (who also happens to be named Liam), loves pouring over the full spread illustrations of the garden. And I love the message of spreading a little green in the world.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for Spring!, March 30, 2009
How perfect that this is coming out now to celebrate Spring! The story and the pictures made me want to share this with my gardening friends as well as the children in my life. Another great book beautifully illustrated by this author.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a beautiful book with a message of hope and an aura of joy surrounding a little boy who loves his garden!
The city looked as gray and overcast as the polluted sky above it. The factory smokestacks spewed their black smoke into the smoggy mix above. Read more
Published 12 days ago by D. Fowler

5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet children's book that opens the door to deeper discussions
A year or more ago, someone gave this book to one of my children for a birthday or holiday or something. It became a favorite for me to read to them. Read more
Published 17 days ago by Candace Beauchamp

5.0 out of 5 stars So sweet.
I love this book. The illustrations are magnificant. The story is simple yet has a deep undertone of taking care our earth, our enviroment, our creativity, our hard work. Read more
Published 1 month ago by J. olson

5.0 out of 5 stars Happy story of a boy and his growing garden
The Curious Garden is a pleasing, comforting tale about a boy who discovers a colorful patch of plantings in an otherwise gray and dreary city. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Holly Draginich

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Delightful
This is truly a delightful story. Liam is a young boy who enjoys spending time outdoors in a dull, gray city where everyone stays inside. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Erin Johnson

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring !
My 5 yr old daughter loves this book! It always surprises me what she ends up liking. She loves to help in the garden, that sparked her interest. Read more
Published 2 months ago by nctmac

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book!
Great book with a great message; it enraptures my 2 and 3 year olds who identify with Liam! Beautiful illustrations.
Published 3 months ago by Mel O

4.0 out of 5 stars Grows on you
They say that children's books are inherently didactic. Particularly those of the picture book variety. Read more
Published 3 months ago by E. R. Bird

5.0 out of 5 stars A greener world is possible!
After creating Flight of the Dodo and Chowder, Peter Brown has created a fan base for life. The Curious Garden doesn't disappoint and maintains Brown's charming illustration... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Lori Calabrese "Children's...

5.0 out of 5 stars Modern day "Secret Garden" filled with hard-work and hope
I like big, wide open, green spaces. Land covered with plants, flowers, and trees with blue skies above and butterflies fluttering around. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Brimful Curiosities

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