Up in the Garden Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner
Anyone who loves gardening will enjoy this comparison book with beautiful language. A child and her Nana begin getting their garden ready to plant. One page will describe what is happening up in the garden, while the next pages describes what is happening down in the dirt to help the garden grow. The book takes us through the seasons beginning with late winter/early spring and ending with the snow covered winter. Each season and stage of garden is beautifully described and paired with illustrations that are just as beautiful.
Garden Rhymes by Clare Beaton
A collection of super cute and classic poems all about the garden. You will find Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary, Lavender Blue, Here is the Bee Hive and others. The pictures are all felt stitched which adds the the quaintness of this perfect spring board book.
I Have a Garden by Bob Barner
This is a great book for early readers. Your young reader can read about all the animals they might see in their own garden. Barner uses the repeated phrase "I have a __________ in my garden," through the book. Your beginning reader can easily fill in the blank with the correct word by looking at the picture and beginning sound of the unfamiliar word. Try covering the animal word up with a sticky note. Then have your child read the phrase and guess what word could be under the sticky note. Be sure to prompt them to look at the picture. Once they make a guess ask were you right? Does bird begin with? Young readers love trying to guess the missing word by using the picture- a great early literacy skill!
Munch! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Flemming
In Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! All Mr. McGreely ever wanted was a garden. When he finally decided to plant a garden, bunnies got in and ate all his vegetables. He then put up a fence figuring that would keep the bunnies out, but those bunnies found a way in. Day after day Mr. McGreely put a new obstacle in the bunnies way. Then night after night the bunnies found a way through, over or under the obstacle. In the end Mr. McGreely gives up and shares his vegetables with the bunnies.
I love Fleming's use of sound and action words through out this book. The bunnies dash and spring and scratch and splash through the obstacles and then muncha all the vegetables! Her use of these words add to the excitement of the book and make it fun to read! If you children are into listening to audiobooks Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! read by William Dufries is also great!
Inch by Inch The Garden Song by David Mallett
The Garden Song Inch by Inch complete with illustrations of a young boy planting his garden and harvesting giant vegetables. In the back of the book there is the sheet music so that you can sing the song while reading. Here is a clip of John Denver singing The Garden Song on Sesame Street.
What are your favorite garden books to read while waiting for your yummy vegetables to ripen?
Happy Reading!
Laura
