Our School Garden! - by Rick Swann (Paperback)

About the Book

A story about children working in the school garden teaches facts about the growth cycle, gardening, food supply, and working together. Includes other resources for those interested in starting a school garden.

Book Synopsis

New city. New school. Michael is feeling all alone--until he discovers the school garden! There's so many ways to learn, and so much work to do. Taste a leaf? Mmm, nice and tangy hot. Dig for bugs? "Roly-poly!" he yells. But the garden is much more than activities outdoors: making school garden stone soup, writing Found Poems and solving garden riddles, getting involved in community projects such as Harvest Day, food bank donations, and spring plant sales. Each season creates a new way to learn, explore and make friends.

School librarian and gardener Rick Swann, in his picture book debut, describes the wonder of connecting with nature and the joy of growing and eating one's own harvest. Award-winning artist Christy Hale ( Dreaming Up, Elizabeti's Doll series) captures the brilliant color of the season and the harvest. This is the perfect book to read alone, as well as share in the classroom or with the entire family.

Good read for the young gardener. Winner of the Growing Good Kids Book Award from Junior Master Gardener Program and American Horticultural Society, named Food Tanks' "15 Book for Future Foodies," and the Whole Kids Foundation Book Club selection in 2016.

From the Back Cover

Winner, 2013 Growing Good Kids Book Award Junior Master Gardener & American Horticultural Society Whole Kids Foundation Book Club Selection "Our School Garden! draws upon the best parts of what a school garden can be--a place to spark curiosity, explore, work hard, laugh, make friends and deepen academic learning." --Kyle Cornforth, The Edible Schoolyard Project "The beautiful illustrative work of Christy Hale lends a perfect visual component to this book, capturing the vibrant colors and dreamy scenes that make up a year in a garden." --Life Lab "From educational opportunities to building community and friendships, this picture book introduces the rewards of school gardens... [An] informative, enjoyable approach to the subject." --Booklist

Review Quotes

- Winner, Growing Good Kids Book Award, Junior Master Gardener and the American Horticultural Society- Whole Kids Foundation Book Club Selection - "15 Books For Future Foodies," Food Tank: The Food Think Tank
"Our School Garden! draws upon the best parts of what a school garden can be--a place to spark curiosity, explore, work hard, laugh, make friends and deepen academic learning." --The Edible Schoolyard Project
"The beautiful illustrative work of Christy Hale lends a perfect visual component to this book, capturing the vibrant colors and dreamy scenes that make up a year in a garden."--Lifelab
"From educational opportunities to building community and friendships, this picture book introduces the rewards of school gardens...Hale's charming, richly-hued, textured illustrations depict multicultural characters and a variety of garden-related activities... [An] informative, enjoyable approach to the subject."--Booklist
"This well designed and informative book would make an especially good choice for schools that are planning or already have a vegetable garden." --Puget Sound Council for Children's Literature and Media
"A charming story of culture, food and friendship and an inspiring call to action. Every school should have a garden like this one!" --Edible Seattle