Welcome to today’s edition of Perfect Picture Book Friday!

I have a lovely book to share – perfect for spring time! It makes me want to get out and garden (and I have a black thumb, so that’s saying something! 😊) I’m sure it will have the same affect on you and any young readers you share it with.

As an added bonus, we have a little Q&A with the author, Chelsea Tornetto, who is also offering winner’s choice of a picture book manuscript critique or a copy of her beautiful book to one lucky commenter! So please leave a comment on this post by Wednesday April 20 at 9PM Eastern and you could be the randomly selected lucky winner! Check out Chelsea’s critique service HERE so you can see what she offers!

Now, let’s have a look at the book!

Title: Gardens Are For Growing

Written By: Chelsea Tornetto

Illustrated By: Hsulynn Pang

Publisher: Familius Publishing

Suitable For Ages: 4-8

Themes/Topics: gardens/nature, growth, family, cycle of life

Opening: “Shovels are for turning soil,
and clumps are meant for breaking.”

Brief Synopsis: A father shows his daughter how to take a patch of earth and till and plant and tend until it grows into a beautiful garden. As the garden grows more lush with every passing year, the little girl grows up.

Links To Resources: First, a treat! A little Q&A with author Chelsea Tornetto!

SUSANNA: How did you come up with the idea for Gardens Are For Growing?

CHELSEA: My husband puts in a backyard garden every year.  When our daughter, Tessa, was small, my favorite thing about spring and summer was watching her hanging out in the garden with her dad.  As she grew older the tasks she could/would help with changed, but the memories they made were always precious.  It struck me how she was growing up just like the garden did each year.  And Gardens Are For Growing was born!

SUSANNA: What do you hope kids will take away from it?

CHELSEA: I hope families are inspired to take time to get outside together!  I also hope it helps them realize that the best, most powerful memories are usually made in the small moments.  You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on a big fancy vacation to make lasting memories.  

SUSANNA: What is your favorite part of being an author?

CHELSEA: I love the creativity of it.  I love the challenge of finding just the right word to complete a rhyme or create a certain feeling.  And I love giving my words to a talented illustrator and seeing their vision come to life!

SUSANNA: Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Chelsea! It’s so wonderful to know a little about the background of the books we love!

Next, some wonderful activity pages!

Why I Like This Book: This lovely story, told in rhyme, shows young readers the many things involved with growing a garden, from breaking up the earth, to sowing seeds and watering, to seeing earthworms, to watching things grow. With each turn of the page, the garden grows, going from a patch of earth, to neat garden with thin, young plants, until eventually it is a lush, mature garden. As the garden grows, a young girl grows alongside it, until the garden, the seasons, and the girl and her father together demonstrate the cycle of life. The art is bright and full of details, a wonderful complement to the text. Young gardeners (whether in the country with a true patch of earth, or in the city with a pot on a windowsill) will especially love this chance to learn about gardening, but it is a beautiful story anyone will enjoy.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 😊

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific blog links (and any other info you feel like filling out 😊) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! Happy Passover and Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates! 😊

Don’t forget to leave a comment for your chance to be randomly selected to win your choice of a copy of this book or a picture book manuscript critique from Chelsea!