Sunday, March 14, 2010

Rose's Garden by Peter H. Reynolds

Rose's Garden by Peter H. Reynolds
Geared Towards: Ages 3 and Up
Published By: Candlewick Press
Publication Date: October 2009
ISBN: 978-0-7636-4641-7

Rose's Garden is an imaginative tale with a beautiful and inspirational sentiment. Written in dedication to Rose Fitzgerarld Kennedy herself, this story is meant to show the resplendent joy that a little hope, faith, and love can bring about.

Rose is a wee girl, traveling the world in her giant tea pot. As she travels from one exotic land to another Rose slowly fills her incredible ship with seeds to remind her of each and every place. After a time her grand tea pot is overflowing with seeds, and with no further room Rose sets her sights on a place where her amazing journey can come to a halt.

Once she finds a place to dock, Rose sets out to discover just the right spot for her glorious garden. It doesn't take long before she stumbles on to an ugly, abandoned lot just perfect for what she has in mind. Upon returning to her ship, however, Rose is dismayed to find that birds have swooped in and selfishly eaten all but a small handful of her prized seeds.

Most people would find such a thing so depressing that all hope would be lost, but Rose is not most people. Unwilling to let a trivial detail such as this get her down, she scoops up the few remaining seeds and heads back to nestle them gently in the dirt. But time and the elements seem to be against Rose. Despite everything she does, her garden just won't grow.

As word of her dream spreads, Rose suddenly discovers that she is not alone in wanting to make the world a more beautiful place around her. Children of all ages and color begin coming to her from around the community to share in her faith of a more beautiful tomorrow. Bringing with them colored paper flowers in all brilliant shades and designs, Rose's garden slowly begins to sprout forth before her eyes. It's not quite what she had initially envisioned, yet it's absolutely perfect.

This lovely little picture book tells an endearing story ripe with originality and lots of heart. It's a story that not only inspires you to take in all the beauty around you, but to go after it without holding anything back. Life's an adventure but it can be amazing if you just allow yourself to dream big and never let go of your faith.

OUR GRADE: 5 hearts

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