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Mr. Goethe's Garden
Mr. Goethe's Garden tells the story of a unique friendship between an inquisitive young girl, Anna, and her neighbor-the elderly, world-famous author, artist and natural scientist, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Anna visits Mr. Goethe in his well-tended garden where he teaches her to draw and to observe the world of nature in a special way.
Set in the 1830s, in Weimar, Germany, this book was partially inspired by Goethe's life and his botanical treatise The Metamorphosis of the Plant. Exquisitely sensitive illustrations and elegant text reveal the intricate wonders of the plant kingdom.
An informative afterword describes the life of Goethe and
his many accomplishments. (Ages 6-9)
Set in the 1830s, in Weimar, Germany, this book was partially inspired by Goethe's life and his botanical treatise The Metamorphosis of the Plant. Exquisitely sensitive illustrations and elegant text reveal the intricate wonders of the plant kingdom.
An informative afterword describes the life of Goethe and
his many accomplishments. (Ages 6-9)
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 13, 2010
As an adult and as someone with graduate degrees in German literature, I truly do oh so very much adore Mr. Goethe's Garden, Diana Cohn's sweet little fictional account of the unusual and art-inspired friendship between German literary icon Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and a young girl named Anna, during the last months of his life (thus in 1831/1832), when Goethe at over eighty years of age was spending most of his days either working to finish his masterpiece, his Faust or painting and sketching the flora of his Weimar garden (although I do have to wonder rather a bit why the author has called Goethe Mr. Goethe and not Herr von Goethe).
And due to the fact and truth that during my university studies, we of course both read much of Goethe's oeuvre (from his poetry to his dramas and comedies) and by mere necessity usually tended to mostly focus on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe as an author, I indeed so much do appreciate that Ms. Cohn with her Mr. Goethe's Garden illuminates that although Joahnn Wolfgang von Goethe is now mostly and generally regarded and considered as primarily an author of literature, as basically the German equivalent of Shakespeare in many ways, he was actually a true so-called Renaissance Man and even personally often considered himself more a man of science (especially with regard to biology and botany) and yes, an artist (the Goethe House in Weimar, Germany, has much of Goethe's artwork on display and it certainly is most accomplished, it most definitely demonstrates that alongside of his undeniable poetic, his literary genius, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was also a most talented painter and sketcher, an all round genius).
With regard to the actual narrative, the story at hand, I very much have both enjoyed and appreciated how Diana Cohn has with Mr. Goethe's Garden textually and narratively portrayed both a pretty well standardly realistic picture of mid 19th century Weimar, Germany and that the emerging friendship between Goethe and young Anna is depicted and presented in an organic, realistic and thus thankfully also not fantastic and overly fanciful manner (of course, I do realise that it does help to have read multiple biographies on Goethe and to thus also be well aware of the fact that during the last years of his life, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe did in fact often choose to surround himself with children, whose company he seemed to prefer to that of often demanding and fawning adults and with whom he then engaged in a quasi grandparent and grandchildren type of relationship, with him often teaching, enlightening and the children learning about life, art and literature). A truly wonderful and tender tale of intergenerational friendship is Mr. Goethe's Garden, of art and art appreciation, and yes, also a story of how art can and should be taught (as Anna's drawing and painting sessions with Goethe in his garden are indeed a glowing portrait of a teacher and his eager pupil, of Anna organically and without constraints and painful learning being taught not only drawing/painting skills, but also about botany and science by Goethe, by her new "elderly" friend). Four well-deserved stars, but with the necessary caveat that Goethe's death is indeed featured (that in 1832, almost immediately after having completed his Faust play, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe dies peacefully in the armchair by his bed at the age of 82).).
And finally, as to Paul Mirocha's accompanying illustrations, especially the watercolour renderings of the diverse plants and flowers Goethe and Anna paint together and by themselves are simply glorious, descriptive, realistic, but at the same time finely nuanced and imaginative, and as such, they totally and utterly capture the spirit of Diana Cohn's narrative, her printed words, especially the scenes where Goethe is either explaining his love of flowers to Anna or showing Anna how flowers grow and how one can capture this on paper. And while the likely acrylic images of Weimar, Germany and the human movers and shakers of Mr. Goethe's Garden (including Goethe and Anna) do sometimes feel a trifle gaudy and garish (in particular if compared to the delicate watercolour hues of the illustrated flora), they do still work well enough with the text, with Diana Cohn's story and plotline, although in my opinion, they do not even remotely approach the magic, the aesthetic beauty of the flower and plant renditions, which really do turn Mr. Goethe's Garden into a true visual celebration, a total and esoteric feast for the eyes.
So if you are in fact considering Mr. Goethe's Garden primarily for information on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe as a German author, as a literary icon of much renown, you will most probably be somewhat disappointed, for aside from brief mentions that Goethe is working on, is trying to finish his Faust play (and that he dies almost immediately after having completed it), ALL of the contents, the themes, the entire story of Mr. Goethe's Garden is entirely about Johann Wolfgang von Goethe as an artist and scientist (about his botanical knowledge) and of course his friendship with Anna. However, Mr. Goethe' Garden is definitely truly and utterly a marvellous and most highly recommended story for everyone, and I for one much appreciate that the author, that Diana Cohn has chosen to focus on aspects of Goethe's life and work that are more often than not somewhat ignored (with the supplemental author's notes being an added bonus, although I sure would have liked and appreciated a bibliographical list with suggestions for further reading).
And due to the fact and truth that during my university studies, we of course both read much of Goethe's oeuvre (from his poetry to his dramas and comedies) and by mere necessity usually tended to mostly focus on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe as an author, I indeed so much do appreciate that Ms. Cohn with her Mr. Goethe's Garden illuminates that although Joahnn Wolfgang von Goethe is now mostly and generally regarded and considered as primarily an author of literature, as basically the German equivalent of Shakespeare in many ways, he was actually a true so-called Renaissance Man and even personally often considered himself more a man of science (especially with regard to biology and botany) and yes, an artist (the Goethe House in Weimar, Germany, has much of Goethe's artwork on display and it certainly is most accomplished, it most definitely demonstrates that alongside of his undeniable poetic, his literary genius, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was also a most talented painter and sketcher, an all round genius).
With regard to the actual narrative, the story at hand, I very much have both enjoyed and appreciated how Diana Cohn has with Mr. Goethe's Garden textually and narratively portrayed both a pretty well standardly realistic picture of mid 19th century Weimar, Germany and that the emerging friendship between Goethe and young Anna is depicted and presented in an organic, realistic and thus thankfully also not fantastic and overly fanciful manner (of course, I do realise that it does help to have read multiple biographies on Goethe and to thus also be well aware of the fact that during the last years of his life, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe did in fact often choose to surround himself with children, whose company he seemed to prefer to that of often demanding and fawning adults and with whom he then engaged in a quasi grandparent and grandchildren type of relationship, with him often teaching, enlightening and the children learning about life, art and literature). A truly wonderful and tender tale of intergenerational friendship is Mr. Goethe's Garden, of art and art appreciation, and yes, also a story of how art can and should be taught (as Anna's drawing and painting sessions with Goethe in his garden are indeed a glowing portrait of a teacher and his eager pupil, of Anna organically and without constraints and painful learning being taught not only drawing/painting skills, but also about botany and science by Goethe, by her new "elderly" friend). Four well-deserved stars, but with the necessary caveat that Goethe's death is indeed featured (that in 1832, almost immediately after having completed his Faust play, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe dies peacefully in the armchair by his bed at the age of 82).).
And finally, as to Paul Mirocha's accompanying illustrations, especially the watercolour renderings of the diverse plants and flowers Goethe and Anna paint together and by themselves are simply glorious, descriptive, realistic, but at the same time finely nuanced and imaginative, and as such, they totally and utterly capture the spirit of Diana Cohn's narrative, her printed words, especially the scenes where Goethe is either explaining his love of flowers to Anna or showing Anna how flowers grow and how one can capture this on paper. And while the likely acrylic images of Weimar, Germany and the human movers and shakers of Mr. Goethe's Garden (including Goethe and Anna) do sometimes feel a trifle gaudy and garish (in particular if compared to the delicate watercolour hues of the illustrated flora), they do still work well enough with the text, with Diana Cohn's story and plotline, although in my opinion, they do not even remotely approach the magic, the aesthetic beauty of the flower and plant renditions, which really do turn Mr. Goethe's Garden into a true visual celebration, a total and esoteric feast for the eyes.
So if you are in fact considering Mr. Goethe's Garden primarily for information on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe as a German author, as a literary icon of much renown, you will most probably be somewhat disappointed, for aside from brief mentions that Goethe is working on, is trying to finish his Faust play (and that he dies almost immediately after having completed it), ALL of the contents, the themes, the entire story of Mr. Goethe's Garden is entirely about Johann Wolfgang von Goethe as an artist and scientist (about his botanical knowledge) and of course his friendship with Anna. However, Mr. Goethe' Garden is definitely truly and utterly a marvellous and most highly recommended story for everyone, and I for one much appreciate that the author, that Diana Cohn has chosen to focus on aspects of Goethe's life and work that are more often than not somewhat ignored (with the supplemental author's notes being an added bonus, although I sure would have liked and appreciated a bibliographical list with suggestions for further reading).
October 17, 2016
This is a beautiful children's book. The illustrations are intriguing, being done in two different styles - the people are strangely "real" looking, but the plant are lovely watercolours. I like books that show loving relationships between kids and adults that are not their parents. I hope my own kids will be lucky enough to have an adult in their life like that. I got this book because our kids go to a Waldorf school, the curriculum of which was developed by Rudolph Steiner, and Steiner's greatest influence was Goethe, so I though it would be nice to learn a bit about the man that inspired the man they spend all day doing things he thought were good for children's development. Plus I love plants, and always really dig kids books about plants.
March 16, 2017
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe isn't remembered so much for his scientific papers on plants, so Mr. Goethe's Garden was written with the hope of bringing more attention to his unique approach to observing nature. Beautifully written book with beautiful illustrations. "Like friends, plants tell you their secrets only when they know you care."
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews