I Have a Garden

March 1, 2013
Barner's entry in the I Can Read series features an appealing white dog narrating a simple text. "I have a frog in my garden. / I have a bird in my garden." A chipmunk, a bug, a bee, and additional fauna and flora flourish on successive spreads. The dog, which dashes about with a bone or stick, declares, a bit too greedily, "This garden is all for me." With a turn of the page, all of the previously pictured creatures gather together, visually conveying the text's corrective sentiment: "No. This garden is for all of us." Barner's exuberant gouache-and-pastel cut-paper collages feature stylized sunflowers, poppies, daisies and more. A bluebird's topknot looks like a heart, echoing the shape of the dog's shiny nose. Pictures and words (delivered in the educational typeface "Report School") cohere nicely, offering blossoming readers some fresh, springy practice. The bright pictures, particularly coupled with the clearly defined value of the garden as a shared environment, make this a nice choice for preschoolers, too. Sweet and sturdy. (Early reader. 2-7)

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March 1, 2013

PreS-Gr 2-Barner's amusing artwork done in paper collage, gouache, pastel, and pencil radiates off the pages as a playful pup shares the wonders of his garden and all of the living things that reside in it. The clear vocabulary and engaging drawings provide the earliest readers with a delightful story. Barner's use of perspective is precise, and earthy tones warm each page. Sam will strike home with little brothers and sisters everywhere who always get left out when the "big kids" are playing. Sam's big sister and her friend are having a tea party, and he wants to play, too. His sister tells him to go away, but Sam keeps trying to join in the fun. To escape him, the girls hide in a cave, build a fort, and then finally row a boat to an island. When it drifts away, it is Sam who notices that they are stranded and gets help. Full spreads of expressive bears fill up the space nicely as the lucid text balances well with warm hues in the pen-and-ink drawings. Simple sentences, repetition, and a large font assure success for children just learning to read. This leveled series supports core standards, helping beginning readers understand characters, setting, and plot while building reading fluency. Superb choices for the very earliest readers.-Melissa Smith, Royal Oak Public Library, MI

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July 1, 2013
A dog lists the animals in the flower garden, from frog to bee to snail, and then proceeds to claim it: "This garden is all for me." The bare-bones language is accessible to beginners, and the narrator's change of heart ("No. This garden is for all of us") adds depth. Close-up, childlike illustrations put readers right in the garden.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)