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    My Garden
    My Garden
    My Garden
    Audiobook7 minutes

    My Garden

    Written by Kevin Henkes

    Narrated by Cassandra Morris

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    A girl dreams of creating a garden full of chocolate rabbits, flowers that change colors, seashells and tomatoes the size of beach balls.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherWeston Woods
    Release dateJan 1, 2013
    ISBN9780545836203
    My Garden
    Author

    Kevin Henkes

    Kevin Henkes has been praised both as a writer and as an illustrator and is the recipient of the Children’s Literature Legacy Award for his lasting contribution to literature for children. He received the Caldecott Medal for Kitten’s First Full Moon; Caldecott Honors for Waiting and Owen; two Newbery Honors, one for Olive’s Ocean and one for The Year of Billy Miller; and Geisel Honors for Waiting and Penny and Her Marble. His other books include The World and Everything in It; A House; A Parade of Elephants; Chrysanthemum; and the beloved Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse. Kevin Henkes lives with his family in Madison, Wisconsin.

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    Reviews for My Garden

    4/5

    35 ratings25 reviews

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    • 3/5
      A young girl describes her own ideal garden in this paean to childhood imagination, envisioning a fantastic space with no weeds, chocolate bunnies that the girl can eat (rather than flesh-and-blood bunnies who eat the plants), flowers that automatically grow again, when picked, and soil in which anything that is planted - sea shells, jelly beans - will yield a crop. The colorful ink and watercolor illustrations have a simple, folksy feeling that accentuates the "simple" pleasures of a garden, while also capturing the magical elements of the tale, from the sunflowers that change color, to the heavily-laden jelly bean tree.Like so many of Kevin Henkes other "non-mouse" picture-books that I have read - most recently, Old Bear - I found that I enjoyed My Garden, but did not think it outstanding. I certainly liked the idea of it (not to mention getting a kick out of the jelly-bean tree, as that's something I might have wished for myself, as a young girl), but somehow the end result was not as enchanting as one might expect, given the immense talents of this author/artist. I'm not one to say that artists shouldn't try new styles, and I certainly haven't disliked any of his recent work (which includes the Caldecott Medal-winning Kitten's First Full Moon), but I think in my heart of hearts I will always prefer Henkes' earlier "mouse" stories, both from an artistic and storytelling perspective.
    • 5/5
      My Garden is delightfully illustrated almost like childrens crayola drawings. This book is intended for 1+ to 6+yr. old. The main character loves to work in the garden with her mom and it's here where her imagination takes over. She is growing chocolate bunnies and invisible carrots (she doesn't like carrots) and many other childrens favorites. great read aloud and journal or big book writing activity.
    • 4/5
      This book is about a young girl that helps her mom take care of the garden. Then, she starts imagining how her garden would look like, growing jellybeans, chocolate and other candies. I would use this book in my class to teach about gardening and also about the differences between growing food and producing food.Reading Journal: counts as 1 Picture Book
    • 5/5
      Great use of imagination in this story of a girl and what would happen and grow in her garden. Great pastel colors and printmakerly outlines make the images pop. Full color, full page images have lots to look at and discover. Used for Story Time and the children loved it.?
    • 4/5
      I want this garden!
    • 4/5
      Read to a four-year old relative (over and over), who was delighted with it. A lot of whimsey - If I had a garden, my garden would have ... Simple, adorable illustrations. Just as cute as a button.
    • 5/5
      In my opinion, My Garden, is a wonderful children’s fictional fantasy book. The illustrations and the language within the story allow this book to send a clear message to its readers that exploring the world around them enables ones imagination to develop an immense amount of creativity. The illustrations in this book are quite unique. I noticed that the illustrations on the first and last two pages are within a circle. As the girl speaks about her mother’s garden and what she does in her mother’s garden are the only times you will see the illustrations in a circle. However, after you turn the first page the illustrations cover the entire page as the girl begins to describe her very own garden. The colors of the illustrations remind me of spring; they are pastel like and soft. They are also very rich in detail. I especially love the illustration that shows the girl picking jelly beans off of her jelly bean bush and collects them in her gardening hat. The jelly beans are all sorts of colors, and the main focus on the page. I also enjoyed the language in the book. It was very clear and descriptive. I also have to add that the language helped support the illustrations throughout the story. The language enables the readers to put themselves in the mind of the little girl and think creatively. An example in the book that supports my opinion is: “In my garden, the rabbits wouldn’t eat the lettuce because the rabbits would be chocolate and I would eat them.” Such a sweet imagination this character has!
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this book. It's very creative and fun. The imagination this child has in the book is fun and refreshing. Any child will love reading this book, because they too will want to imagine a garden like this! The illustrations in the book are new and bright they really speak to you. I think this book would be a great book to read inside the classroom!
    • 4/5
      My Garden goes into the mind of a young girl while she is helping her mother with the garden. This story shows how the girl imagines her own garden and how it differs from her mothers. In her garden the bunnies are made of chocolate, the flowers change colors, and seashells grow in the dirt. Kevin Henke's stories allow for the reader to use their imaginations while reading. The reader gets to visualize the little girl's garden and how she has made it her own. Imagination is so important amongst younger children and this story focuses on that. The class could plant their own garden and each student could use their imagination to decide what they want to plant.
    • 3/5
      Kevin Henkes uses vibrant illustrations to capture the essence of a young girl's garden. Children would probably see a portrayal of themselves in the main character, because she exaggerates everything and she expects magical things to happen. She's innocent and has a very vivid imagination - this book would definitely appeal to kids.
    • 3/5
      Showing a child what a garden is and how to use imagination to dream up anything you would like to see and that it all begins with a small seed.
    • 3/5
      My Garden is about imagination. The little girl goes through what would be in her garden. I enjoyed it. It was cute seeing her dream growing sea shells and candy. I prefer Henkes' mice books.
    • 4/5
      A cute book for springtime. I would use this book in preschool or kindergarten along with a unit about planting. Illustrations add to the silly ideas like jelly bean bushes and chocolate rabbits in the garden. It could be extended by a writing and illustrating experience about what silly thing a child would grow in his or her own garden.
    • 3/5
      "My Garden," by Kevin Henkes, is a tale about a young girl who helps her mother out in her garden. When her mother leaves the garden, she if left to use her imagination as she walks around the garden, telling readers what her perfect garden would be like if she were to decide how it would be. From chocolate rabbits, to color changing flowers, to jelly bean bushes, and invisible carrots, the little girl describes her dream garden from her imagination. Henkes' brightly painted illustrations give readers an inside view on the girl's imaginary garden. Although there is no real moral or lesson taught in this story, it would be great to use in a preschool or Kindergarten class when talking about gardens/plants, or even about using your imagination.
    • 5/5
      In this whimsical story a young girl’s imaginary garden comes to life on the pages. It’s a place where seashells grow and chocolate bunnies abound, where flowers come in all shapes and colors, even patterns. Preschooler, who insists on planting rocks in our front yard so that she can grow more rocks, wants to hear this repeatedly. And the illustrations? GORGEOUS. Beautiful pastel colors that I wish would leap out of the page and into my own garden attempts.
    • 3/5
      This story about a young girl who helps her mother in the garden would be an especially nice spring a summer book. Creative.
    • 5/5
      The picture book begins in reality with a little girl helping her mother in the garden. From there the child imagines the perfect, magical garden where nothing dies, flowers change color, rabbits are chocolate, and anything you plant including jellybeans and umbrellas will grow. The child discusses flowers and vegetables. At the end, the little girl decides to indulge her fantasy and secretly plants a seashell in the garden.This simple story would be a wonderful accompaniment to discussion on gardens, what does and does not grow, and what work is necessary to maintain a garden. It encourages imagination. What would grow in your child's fantasy garden?The illustrations are bright, simple, and charming. Every page is filled with luxurious color. The author/illustrator, Kevin Henkes, was awarded a Caldecott Medal for another book. His boldly outlined pictures are filled with action and expression. This charming picture book would make a lovely spring, Easter, Hanamatsuri, or birthday gift.
    • 4/5
      Would be a great addition to a unit on gardens, or a PK unit on living things. The girl in the story tells about what would happen if she planted jellybeans, or grew umbrellas or rusty keys.
    • 4/5
      This was a simple story about a girl's imaginary garden. I found myself imagining the garden I would build while I read about hers. It was simple fun.
    • 5/5
      The young girl imagines what her own garden would be like. You can use this book in a classroom and have a discussion, or draw, or even write about what your garden would grow.
    • 4/5
      A young girl is imagining a garden with all different types of colors and shapes. If you picked a flower than another one would grow in its place. She has a very big imagination about what her own garden would look like if she had one.
    • 4/5
      A little girl find out what it takes to take care of a garden. The little girl helps her mom take care of the garden by weeding, watering, and keeing the rabbits out. The rabbits like to eat the lettuce. When the little girl grows a garden of her own, she want to grow chocolate bunnies,so they won't eat the lettuce. The little girl is inspired to grow a garden because of her mother. she had a great imagination.
    • 3/5
      A little girl is always helping her mom with the garden. She enjoys watering, weeding, and chasing the rabbits away. She imagines what her garden would be like if she had one. She was going to grow seashells and not have any weeds. She was going to have chocolate bunnies instead of real ones. Her strawberries would light up the garden at night. Now it is night and she goes outside and plants a seashell before bed. This book is great to show a class to encourage them to use their imagination.
    • 4/5
      My Garden is a sweet illustrated fantasy book about a child dreaming about her garden. She helps her mother in her garden while imagining a garden with flowers that never die. The child's garden becomes more fantastical, growing jellybeans. In a nod to Beatrice Potter, the child exclaims that rabbits in her garden would not eat lettuce because they would be chocolate rabbits that she would eat. The story concludes with the child planting a seashell in the garden, leaving the reader to wonder what the seashell will grow.This book is sweet and it made me smile. The marker and watercolor illustrations are full of joy and the youthful enthusiasm of the child emanates off the page.I think this would be a fun book to use as an anticipatory set when creating a classroom garden. It would also be an excellent read around book.
    • 5/5
      My Garden is about a little girl who after helping her mother weed, water and chase the rabbits from their garden, she imagines her dream garden complete with jellybean bushes, chocolate rabbits and tomatoes the size of beach balls. This was one of my favorite book by Henkes. The garden that he imagine that this little girl imagined was beautiful. This would be a great book for a writing lesson.