A girl and her neighbor grow a community from their garden. Grace thinks
Larry's garden is one of the wonders of the world. In his tiny backyard
next door to hers, Larry grows the most extraordinary vegetables. Grace
loves helping him --- watering and weeding, planting and pruning, hoeing
and harvesting. And whenever there's a problem --- like bugs burrowing
into the carrots or slugs chewing the lettuce --- Grace and Larry solve
it together. Grace soon learns that Larry has big plans for the
vegetables in his special garden. And when that garden faces its biggest
problem yet, Grace follows Larry's example to find the perfect solution.
Inspired by a real person, author Laura Alary has written a heartwarming
story about how amazing things can grow when you tend your garden with
kindness. In this case, Larry, a teacher, is helping to grow community.
He has his students grow tomato plants that they then give away to their
neighbors with personal notes. It offers a powerful lesson on the
influence of generosity, while encouraging young children to become
community activists in their own neighborhoods. This uplifting story
fosters an appreciation for neighborhood and community at a time when
that sentiment seems to be eroding. The book also contains an
environmental message about harvesting your own vegetables and, with
Kass Reich's colorful illustrations, works beautifully for a life
science exploration of growth and changes in plants. There are character
education connections to caring, cooperation, empathy, kindness,
perseverance and teamwork.
