The Curious Garden by Peter Brown

The Curious Garden by Peter Brown

Rating: 4.5 blooming stars

Our family has a serendipitous relationship with Peter Brown.  On one of our first trips to the library, Ben grabbed a random book off of the shelf.  That book was The Flight of the Dodo; the entire book is about birds pooping from the sky.  Ok, not entirely, but I just didn't get it.  I thought that the author needed about five more books through which he could mature...I also thought it was the first book I'd read where the illustrator should stick to illustrating.  Know your strengths and weaknesses, right?  Well, I was wrong on that one.

Fast forward about six months.  Lorelei, Ben, and I were at a big ol' bookstore, trying to find a book for Lorelei's friend who was undergoing surgery that day.  I wanted to find an inspiring book that would captivate her attention while her body recovered.  I came across The Curious Garden, totally by luck.  (It seems like large book stores are frustrating places to find good children's books.  They stock what sells, rather than the gems that many people don't know about.  Bring back the local little shops!  I'd have to drive 30 minutes to get to the closest one!  Sigh.  Maybe in my next life.  Or do I just want to be Meg Ryan in "You've Got Mail"?)  I picked it up, even though the last Peter Brown book I picked up reminded me too much of my diaper-changing day job.

Anyway, Peter Brown definitely got it right this time.  Inspired by a true story, the book is about curious little, red-headed Liam who lives in a dark, dreary city and decides to add some green to it.  He finds a sad, struggling little garden and decides to take care of it.  Eventually, the gray city becomes alive with green.  The illustrations are just wonderful--I was truly swept away in them. 

I think that I'd be a fan of the book even if the story was just ok and the illustrations were just fine.  It has the word curious in it.  I want Lorelei and Ben to know that word inside and out!  And, like little Liam, I want them to act on their curiosity and maybe just maybe they'll add a little bit of joy to the environments in which they evolve.  My fingers are crossed!

Good job, Peter Brown!