The Garden that We Grew

by Joan Holub

This easy-to-read tale with bold illustrations captures the cycle of life in nature as a pumpkin grows from a seedling to full grown plant where it gives its seeds back to the earth to start the process all over again. Simultaneous.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Plants, Gardening, Nonfiction, Halloween, Science

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

NY Times bestselling children's book author:
GODDESS GIRLS series + HEROES IN TRAINING series (w Suzanne Williams); THIS LITTLE TRAILBLAZER a Girl Power Primer; ZERO THE HERO; I AM THE SHARK. Lucky to be doing what I love!

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Handing Neo the reins to read this Level 2 book, we learned a little more about gardens and the process of having things grow. Rhymes throughout keep the story moving along, from tilling the soil through to planting and watching things grow until harvest. But, that's not the end of it all. Gardeners must then take their riches (pumpkins in this piece) and make them turn into delectable treats. Neo did so well getting the words out and finding the rhythm. He surely has made such progress in a short time.

[Mary Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet early reader about a group of kids who plant and tend a garden. The text is rhyming, and flows smoothly. It would make a great read-aloud for preschoolers who are interested in gardening and growing seeds. It would be perfect for 1st graders who are learning to read aloud.

It culminates in harvesting pumpkins, making pie & jack-o-lanterns. It would be perfect for the fall.

The illustrations are wonderful - friendly, full of happiness, but not jarring.

Here are the first few pages:
"This is the garden
that we will grow.
This is the patch
we will plant row by row./
This is the dirt,
all warm and brown./
These are the seeds
we push way down."

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice rhyme and cadence

[Alissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is cute and informational! It explains the steps on how to grow a garden and what you do when your garden full of pumpkins are ready! This is a good book for fall.

[Madelyn Melton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story and its sequence of events with the colorful art.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ages 4 - 7. This book tells the story of children growing pumpkins and using those pumpkins to make pie and cookies and jack-o-lanterns. The words rhyme and there are water color illustrations to go along with the story. The book is cheery, and inspiring--it encourages the reader to be active and try new things through its depiction of these fun activities. It is an easy reader at the lower intermediate level. Recommended for public and school library childrens' collections.

[Aleisha Pendleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a really cute I-can-read book. It would be great to use in so many ways in the classroom. It would be great for teaching the students how to plant different things and take care of a garden. It would also be great for teaching students that hard work pays off. By taking care of the pumpkin patch they were able to enjoy their pumpkins after they grew.

[Katie Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the theme of this book. I like how it informs the reader on how to plan and grow pumpkins. It also shows things to do with pumkins such as bake pies, carve, and paint. It would be a great to read in the fall to younger children.

[Ashley Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would use this book when talking about planting seeds and how to make the garden grow. I would talk about how the sun, water, and soil helps the plants grow. I would also talk about the growing process.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

With a lyrical, rhyming narrative and colorful illustrations, this book is sure to appeal to beginning readers. I think it also would inspire young children to want to plant a garden and perhaps grow some pumpkins.

[MaryKay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the ending with saving the pumpkin seeds for next year.

[Jennesy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! I would use this to introduce where our goods come from and I would maybe bring in pumpkin seeds for the kids (if no one was allergic). Great way to introduce this lesson.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kids grow pumpkins and then carve them to make jack o'lanterns.

[Judy Carey Nevin]

I collaborated with the Puffin editor on this one.

[Superreader200 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like to eat pumpkins. I like the book, too.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Synopsis: "It's spring and that means time for gardening! Carefully tended seeds grow to become buds, then plants, then pumpkins filled with seeds-ready for planting all over again! With eye-catching illustrations and fun-to-read texts, these latest additions to the Viking Easy-to-Read series are sure to get rave reviews from new readers."

My Review: I couldn't decide based on the title and synopsis if this was a good spring read or fall read. I think it turns out to be better for late summer and fall, during harvest time. This is a good level 2 book, it has a nice story to keep the reader interested with some more complex sentences and words. While we enjoyed the story, I was hoping it would involve more than just the pumpkins on the cover, but it turns out it doesn't involve more plants in the garden. Munchkin seemed to enjoy this one but we haven't picked it up again.