The Night Gardener

by Terry Fan, Eric Fan (Illustrator)

One day, William discovers that the tree outside his window has been sculpted into a wise owl. In the following days, more topiaries appear, and each one is more beautiful than the last. Soon, William’s gray little town is full of color and life. And though the mysterious night gardener disappears as suddenly as he appeared, William—and his town—are changed forever.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Art, Gardening, Nature, Fantasy

48 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2016

About the author

Terry Fan received his formal art training at Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto, Canada. His work is a blend of traditional and contemporary techniques, using ink or graphite mixed with digital. He spends his days (and nights) creating magical paintings, portraits, and prints. Terry is the cocreator of The Night Gardener, It Fell from the Sky, and Lizzy and the Cloud. Born in Illinois, he now lives in Toronto.

Reviews

[Mischenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was first drawn to The Night Gardener because of the title and cover. I snatched it up and I'm so glad I did. The book is an effortless read but what makes it so remarkable is the beautiful and mysterious story, paired with the illustrations. We all loved it. It's certainly magnificent and magical.

5*****

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A community comes together to enjoy the beauty of nature around them after everyday trees transform into beautiful topiaries. Just as in the neighborhood, the detailed illustrations in the book bring the story to life. Very enjoyable read!

[Debbie W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely text with beautiful illustrations that my Grade 3 students loved!

[بثينة العيسى · Rating 5 out of 5]

هذه قصة عن السحر والغموض. من هو بستانيّ الليل، لماذا لم يره أحد إلا طفل واحد؟ هل ثمة دليل على وجوده؟ هل جاء البستانيّ لكي يورث طفلًا سحر الصنعة؟ ما هو أثر الفن؟ امتلأت الصفحات بالألوان تدريجيًا بعد أن غادرت الرمادي، وامتلأت بالحياة والحشود والصخب. هذا الكتاب يذكرني بأبيات مظفر؛ تعال لبستانِ السِّر.. الرسومات بديعة، والقصة آسرة ومعناطيسية، مثل قصة الخلق الأولى. حصلتُ عليه من أمازون.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Night Gardener is about the impression and long lasting effects magic and art can make on a soul and a community. Long after the “ooohs” and “aaahh”s fade away—the hope and energy of a creation or magical moment remain. Magic is out there for all to see, feel, find, and change us!

A secret night gardener slowly transforms Grimloch Lane into a circus of wonder one tree and shrub at a time. The magic of the gardener’s work brings the people together to dream and guess and experience. Come see! Take a walk down the lane!

As the big, muted brown and grey pages begin to fill in with color, readers begin to really see every line and detail. We wake up! Signs of joy start to appear in color on the pages. Extraordinary pages alive with color and detail! You will see something new each and every time you look. They hold such imagination. Balloons, animals, smiles and more! Life can be hard and monotonous at times. We have to remember to look for the magic. Hope and dreams and imagination live in this book.

A beautiful tale to read again and again. I’ll be on the lookout for more from the Fan Brothers.

[Archit · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Night Garden is a garden of one's dreams. A book like this should not be missed.

Art. Magic. Imagination. Humorous.

[Chadi Raheb · Rating 3 out of 5]

چقدر یه جوری بود!
هم قشنگ بود، هم کریپی!
خوب شروع شد، خیلی مسخره تموم شد!
کار تصویرگر از اول تا آخر خیلی خوب بود، نویسنده ولی آخرا گویا خوابش میومد گفت خب دیگه اند دی لیود هپیلی اور افتر پایان شب‌بخیر خدافس :)) مسخره :))

پ.ن.
اسم اصلی کتاب هست «باغبان شب»
The Night Gardener

[Lata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magical illustrations accompany a light story about the lingering, positive, effects on a neighbourhood of mysteriously appearing gorgeous topiary animals.

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Truth be told, with Terry and Eric Fan’s The Night Gardener I have actually (and pretty rarely for me at that) both enjoyed the accompanying illustrations considerably more than the presented narrative and in fact have also found the Fan brothers printed words not really even remotely on par with their glowing and delightfully evocative illustrations. In other words, reading the featured text of The Night Gardener with its basic simplicity and indeed rather unimaginative and blah standard ending, at least to and for me, this seems to kind of pull down the pictures a trifle, it seems to distract from illustrations that with their lushness and attention to detail really do totally shine, but which glow is then if not extinguished at least dimmed and lessened somewhat by an accompanying narrative that I for one have found both more than a bit monotonous in scope and also much too alike and akin to other picture books featuring “special” gardeners.

And therefore, The Night Gardener really does only move and truly appeal to me aesthetically (read illustratively) and is in fact a much more positive and delightful reading experience if I try to as much as possible ignore Terry and Eric Fan’s verbal musings and only concentrate on their artwork. For their pictures are indeed just totally visually lovely and a marvellously descriptive feast for my eyes, and this even though I personally actually do tend Tom prefer and have always preferred natural looking trees to topiary. But even though I am more of a natural and not artificially pruned and constructed like animals trees fan, the illustrations for The Night Gardener are indeed so visually sparkling that I cannot do anything else but love love love them (albeit that the draggingly simplistic text and unimpressive instant classic ending of The Night Gardener does kind of frustrate me, for it seems just so non special compared to the pictures and their all encompassing splendour).

[Orbi Alter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Predivna prica koju prate ilustracije koje nisu s ovog svijeta...

[Alice-Elizabeth (Prolific Reader Alice) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beautifully illustrated picture book that tells the story of a mysterious gardener who comes out at home and creates visual displays in trees and shrubs in a small community, leaving others to wonder who he/she really is. Lovely read!

[Sandra Deaconu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Textul nu m-a impresionat, dar eu, ca de obicei, am stat să îl analizez ca un adult. Pentru un copil, mai ales dacă îi este citit de un părinte care poate aduce o contribuție corectă la acesta, poate fi văzut ca o poveste drăguță despre transmiterea valorilor și aprecierea naturii. Recomand totuși un experiment: să fie ,,citit" prima data doar prin intermediul ilustrațiilor, care sunt chiar frumoase. Recenzia aici: https://bit.ly/3u9445O.

[Wanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

16 MAR 2016 - Beautiful! Do you enjoy childrens' picture books? Are there little ones in your life? If yes, this book is special and a worthwhile purchase. The topiaries created by the Night Gardener are outstanding.

This review continues to be written as I comment to friends:

Comment to Eve: (Eve writes that this sounds like something she would enjoy.) Oh, Eve, I think you would. The illustrations are stunning and there is a special element which comes to life as the story progresses which combine to create a heartwarming tale for all ages.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dull gray neighborhood is transformed when the Night Gardener arrives with his hedge trimmers.
Soon, leafy cats, rabbits, and dragons brighten the landscape, and smiles appear on worn and tired faces. A young boy is even recruited as a helper/apprentice. The most magical thing is that even after the leaves have changed color and fallen, the warmth and goodwill remains.

The stunning illustrations are a perfect compliment to the heart-warming story.

[✦BookishlyRichie✦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this one to my sister and cousin and they loved it. The illustrations are beautiful and amazing and I will need to get a copy to own.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only does someone special bring his talents to the people of Grimloch lane, but the talent is passed on from one generation to the next in this exceptional picture book. The story may remind us of others (from Grandpa Green to Circus Mirandus or even Edward Scissorhands), but the visual presentation is original and of the highest quality.

Highly recommended as a quiet read-aloud.

[Kate prefers books to people · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous art. Picture book bedtime story.

Magnificent topiaries start appearing around a small town. My 1 year old is mesmerized by the animals.

[Ιωάννα Μπαμπέτα · Rating 5 out of 5]

Μαγικό βιβλίο με πανέμορφη εικονογράφηση! Ένα πραγματικό στολίδι!

[K.J. Mecklenfeld · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dragi pufoși, dacă sunteți mari amatori de cărți ilustrate, puneți neapărat The Night Gardener (Simon & Schuster) pe lista voastră.

Este de găsit cartonată sau e-book enhanced, după cum se vede pe site-ul editurii. Eu mi-am luat ediția tipărită, dar îmi pot închipui cu ușurință că cei de la S&S au făcut tot ce le-a stat în putință ca să scoată o edi��ie digitală bună – simt că această carte a fost nu numai scrisă și ilustrată cu mare drag, pasiune și talent, dar și că a avut un editor pe măsură de pasionat și talentat.

The Night Gardener este destinată copiilor între 4 și 8 ani. Povestea în sine este minunat de frumoasă, iar ilustrațiile sunt nemaipomenite. Cartea cu totul – copertă cartonată, supracopertă, miros de cerneală, tipăritură, text și ilustrații – îți taie respirația. Vă spun sincer, după ce am închis-o, am lăcrimat de atâta frumusețe. Este o carte perfectă. Nu i-am găsit nici măcar un defect, oricât de... [dacă doriți să vedeți mai multe imagini, aici link la recenzia de pe blog: http://www.kjmecklenfeld.nl/the-night...]

[Laura Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one creative, unique, detailed, luminous, astonishingly gorgeous, incredible picture book. If anyone disputes that this is a golden era for children's picture books just hand 'em over this one. The Night Gardener manages to raise the already high bar of picture books to a whole new level. I can't wait to see what might be created by authors and illustrators trying to top this one. Magnificent!

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book for a family in need's Christmas gift for their 4 year old. I bought it just because of the illustrations alone. After reading the book it is just as wonderful as the pictures. I hope the child enjoys it as much as I did. I wish I was able to cut topiaries like the ones in the book... then again sometimes grand topiaries makes me think of the Shinning by Stephen King!

[Andréa · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gorgeous book! I love the idea that small, individual actions can have a big impact on other people--even a whole community. The artwork is beautiful, and kids will enjoy poring over each spread and all the little details. It will probably inspire many kids to learn more about topiary, too!

Note: I received a hardcover copy of this book from the publisher.

[Debbie Ohi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the utterly *gorgeous* art in THE NIGHT GARDENER, a debut picture book by Eric Fan and Terry Fan (Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers). Every time I read through it, I notice something new. Beautiful details (just noticed the lovely illustrations on the cover beneath the paper jacket!), stunning illustrations, magical atmosphere throughout. Highly recommended.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Words are distracting as they are so unnecessary... it would make a great wordless book or even graphic novel. Pictures and story (as told by them) are lovely, until the end, at which point the book becomes just another 'instant classic' covering a common theme with nothing new worth sharing.
(In *my* opinion. Readers less jaded than I will love it, and more power to them.)

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations and story. Looking forward to more picture books by these authors.

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

William wakes up one morning to discover that the residents of Grimloch Lane have been visited in the night by a mysterious topiary artist, who has shaped one of the trees in the Grimloch Orphanage's yard into the figure of an owl. Enraptured by this beautiful surprise, William (a resident of the orphanage) gazes in wonder all day, and well into the night. The guerrilla gardener strikes again that night, and a massive cat-shaped tree is discovered the next day. A friendly rabbit, a pretty parakeet and a playful elephant soon follow. After the creation of a magnificent arboreal dragon, which becomes the site of a community-wide celebration, William encounters the mysterious Night Gardener, and helps him to transform Grimloch Park into a veritable wonderland. When William awakens the next morning, it is to find that his new friend has left him a parting gift, in addition to the legacy he has left the whole town...

This debut picture-book from brothers Terry and Eric Fan is a work of astonishing beauty! I was immediately drawn in by the cover art, with its moon-drenched night-time vista, and its mysterious owl topiary. The interior of the book more than lives up to that first impression of beauty and enchantment. From the decorative end-papers to the gorgeous interior drawings, done in graphite and colored digitally, everything about The Night Gardener is lovely. The night-scapes feature the same blue shades as the cover, whereas the daytime scenes vary more in color scheme. The setting is historical (perhaps 1930s?), but the neighborhood is diverse. The many neighborhood cats, who are frequently to be seen, are a welcome addition. The tale itself, in which a mysterious night gardener gives a gift of beauty to a neighborhood, reminded me a bit of Timmerman Was Here , which is high praise. Recommended to anyone who appreciates beautiful picture-books, or who wants a lovely tale of a gardener-artist who gives a gift to those around him!

[Hera Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful book.

The plot is simple but magical, as any good kids' book should be: in a small town, something begins to change overnight. First it's a single tree, shifted in the night to a marvelous topiary animal. Over time nearly all the trees in town are transformed by the night gardener, and one lucky child happens to catch him at it and receive an invitation to see how it's done.

But oh, the art. Both the authors are artists, and their styles have combined into one gorgeous super style. It's reminiscent of The Snowman, but with a bit more use of color. It reminds me of Dandelion Wine for the nostalgic feel of the town. These are the sort of pages you can get lost in.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is sweet. The illustrations were brilliant! I loved them so much--best part of the book. Details of the story are in them that are not in the text.

2/22/17 Used in G preschool theme. Told them to really look at the pictures to see the details as well as part of the story. I helped point out certain parts (like the man with the ladder). They loved seeing what creatures he created with the trees. They totally got it! Woohoo!

[Mississippi Library Commission · Rating 5 out of 5]

Y'all, The Night Gardeneris picture book heaven. Gorgeous, breathtaking, whimsical pictures: check. Sweet, lyrical, easy-to-understand text: check. Just the right touch of wonder, mystery, and childish longing: checkity-check. Perfect as a read-aloud, you'll love this one as much as your kids will.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated picture book about a mysterious stranger that brings a town together through his topiary creations!

The authors, brothers Eric and Terry Fan, are both artists and this is their first book. You can check out their other surrealistic artwork here:

https://society6.com/opifan64
https://society6.com/igo2cairo