The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver

by Gene Barretta, Frank Morrison (Illustrator)

The story of George Washington Carver and his childhood secret garden is brought to life in this picture book biography.

When George Washington Carver was just a young child, he had a secret: a garden of his own.

Here, he rolled dirt between his fingers to check if plants needed more rain or sun. He protected roots through harsh winters, so plants could be reborn in the spring. He trimmed flowers, spread soil, studied life cycles. And it was in this very place that George’s love of nature sprouted into something so much more—his future.

Genres: Picture Books, Biography, Nonfiction, History, Childrens, Science, Nature

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 14, 2020

About the author

Gene Barretta is the author and illustrator of Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin and Neo Leo: The Ageless Ideas of Leonardo da Vinci. He is also author and illustrator of Dear Deer, which was a Notable Children’s Book in the Language Arts and listed on the Parenting Magazine Mom-Tested Books of the Year List.

He holds a B.F.A. in Film Studies from New York University, and has worked for many years in film and television production. Gene is also the older brother of Muppet performer, writer and director, Bill Barretta.

He lives in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania with his wife and son.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/geneba...

Reviews

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was AMAZING. Of course I’ve heard of George Washington Carver and I know a little bit about his legacy however I’m always amazed of how much you can learn from Children’s nonfiction books. They can be phenomenal. This book really made me learn a lot about his past and why he was so passionate about agriculture. I think that people always recognize his ability to utilize the peanut in so many different ways but I think that this book definitely provides much more insight to his life. There was so much I didn’t know. For example, I had no idea that he even acquired a Masters degree! It’s so a phenomenal story. And the artwork adds a special touch. Definitely check it out.

[Shaye Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful picture book biography of George Washington Carver. It showcases his curiosity and love for nature from his earliest days after being born into slavery in 1864. He tended a secret garden and learned an incredible amount of knowledge from trial and error. He learned how to sew, make dyes, create medicine from plants and leaves. At the age of 12, he moved away from his childhood home and traveled through several states continuing to learn about art and agriculture. He was the first Black man to graduate from Iowa Agricultural College and he went on to teach agriculture at Tuskegee Institute. On the very last page of this book we're left with a final thought, which appeared to be his mantra: "Regard Nature. Revere Nature. Respect Nature." The back matter includes a timeline of Carver's life, along with a bibliography and selections for further reading. The artist used oil on illustration board to create the illustrations for this book. The details are absolutely stunning!

For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read a dozen or more books about Carver, but this lush and enlightening approach makes it the most appealing and kid-friendly of all. The post Civil WR era, the limitations on a black child, the drive of any child to pursue beloved interests will win the hearts of kids, and the illustrations will invite their eyes to linger and explore every page.
2021 NCSS NOTABLE TRADE BOOK FOR YOUNG READERS.
No matter how many Carver titles you’ve read before, read this one.

[Linda Lipko · Rating 4 out of 5]

This lovely illustrated book is filled with a lot of wonderful text regarding the life of George Washington Carver. Born into slavery in Diamond Grove, Missouri, he was both father and motherless. When he was one year old, the 13th amendment outlawed slavery.

Still, that did not grant rights to those of color. Sickly, he spent his time by growing a garden. He developed a deep love and understanding of nature. He attended a colored school. He lived in a series of states, always seeking an education and better understanding of medicinal and beautiful properties of plants.

The first black man to obtain a master's degree , he attended Iowa Agricultural College, then moved to the Tuskegee Institute on Alabama and developed and used his love of botany to establish an agricultural program.

In 1921, Carver addressed the United State Congress House of Representatives to discuss the benefits of plants, in particular the peanut!

This is an incredible story of a man who never gave up his love of learning.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5. Art is outstanding. Book would be a 5 star for me if more about Carver's faith were worked in.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written biography about George Washington Carver! My kids really enjoyed learning about him and the challenges he faced due to racism. While we read it as part of our science unit, they were delighted to find that it also related back to what we have studied in history. My 7-year-old was able to recognize that it took place after slavery was legally outlawed, yet before the Civil Rights Act of 1964, so segregation was still extremely common. Carver had his acceptance to Highland College rescinded after they learned he was African American. He was also the first Black man to study, graduate from, and teach at Iowa Agricultural College many years later. He was a very curious, determined, and intelligent man who persevered in the face of challenges and made giant strides as a scientist. The artwork in this book was also beautiful!!!

[Lamarr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. I know about George Washington Carver and his many uses of the peanut and contributions, but it was so nice to understand his background and the why behind his passion. The illustrations are beautiful and there is such a deep, meaningful and encouraging message that can be carried for generations to come. I just wish more books like this were written and so easily accessible when I was a little girl. The truth, the story, the magic of who I am and who we are. I am loving it and can't wait to read more books like this. I am so excited for the opportunity to share these stories with my little girls.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frank Morrison illustrates this book with beautiful oil paintings, but most (not all) of the people depicted look somber and unsmiling. This doesn't detract from the illustrations, I just wondered about his choice of expression. He also does a fantastic job of depicting the woods which young George love to visit, and in which he studied many types of plants. I loved that the author included this statement regarding George's "secret garden": "In his mind, the garden was a true gift from God, whom he called the Great Creator." Wonderful biography.

[Joshua Betts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book because it shows that plants are important 🥝🍉🥕🍓🍎🍌

[Raven Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

While it is a lovely snapshot of one piece of Carver's life, I wish there was a little "more" to it. Not so much his life as a whole, but more about the actually growing and learning about plants. It is poetic with lyrical illustrations. Might be a hard recommendation, but worth the read. The timeline is an excellent addition.

[June · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love children's books that teach me something I don't know. I never knew that Congress designated a George Washington Carver Recognition Day!

Such an amazing man, born a slave, accepted to Highland College, turned away because of the color of his skin. First Black to graduate from Iowa Agricultural College with an masters.

"Regard Nature.
Revere Nature.
Respect Nature."

[Pam Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story about Carver with beautiful illustrations. Timeline, bibliography, and further reading at the end.

[Janelle Hooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful storytelling of a person who should be more of a household name.

[Jennifer Ingle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of George Washington Carver and how the secret garden he nurtured as a child inspired him to eventually establish what he’s most well known for: the peanut farming industry. There’s so much more to it than that, and you can read about it in this book!

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book included many things that I did not know about George Washington Carver. I highly recommend it for everyone. ( I can't believe that some people think that picture books are just for kids.)

[Abby Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous illustrations and an amazing story.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lushly illustrated, expressive, inspiring portrait of Carver.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

GWC 4EVA! I first learned about him in 4th grade. Amazing. He would be so sad to hear how many people have peanut allergies these days.

[John Betts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really thought it was cool that when he was little people told him plants do not make money. 💵 But when he got older he helped people with plants.

[Samia Q · Rating 4 out of 5]

Source: NCTE Orbis Pictus Recommended Booklist, Booklist Starred Review
Format: Traditional book format (borrowed from library)
Grade Level: K–5

This book tells the story of George Washington Carver as a child and how his love for plants and learning shaped who he became. I really liked how it focuses on his curiosity and connection to nature. The illustrations are beautiful and vibrant, and they really help bring the historical setting to life.

Based on what we’ve been learning, this definitely fits the criteria for strong historical fiction for younger readers—it includes rich backmatter like a timeline and author’s note, it’s factually accurate, and it centers an important historical figure in a way that young kids can connect to. I could see myself using this in an elementary classroom during a science unit or as part of a biography or Black History Month read-aloud.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well researched picture book biography about George Washington Carver. Although it begins with his birth into slavery and continues with his evolution into a living folk hero, the bulk of the story focuses on his childhood passion for nature. To avoid being teased, Carver kept a secret garden in the woods where he learned and experimented on growing his beloved plants. His efforts led him to be known locally as a Plant Doctor and neighbors would bring their plants to his plant hospital. Morrison's oil illustrations (he also illustrated Little Melba and Her Big Trombone) are well suited to the accessible narrative. Young readers will find much to admire in Carver's love of nature, resourcefulness, and intelligence. The book ends with a lovely two page spread of an elderly Carver leaning on a stick overlooking a glorious garden in the woods with the text: Regard Nature. Revere Nature. Respect Nature. The timeline and bibliography make this a useful addition to any elementary unit on Carver.

[mg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll be honest, I love anything that Frank Morrison does. But this truly surpasses all his other work...

Beautiful, warm, lush illustrations that help illustrate the beautiful story of George Washington Carver evolving from a kidnapped enslaved person to a nationally respected Black agricultural expert. Wonderful information book that is sure to pull in readers starting around 2nd grade.

Side Note: As a former Ames, IA, resident (where the Iowa Agricultural College became Iowa State University), I'm astonished that this book was the first time I learned that GWC was the first Black person to graduate with a master's from the school. The town is very remiss in not celebrating this far more than it does. Honorary Street? Civic Building in his name? Agricultural Building named in his honor? *sigh*

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done biography for elementary level readers.
Barretta shares Carver's life from childhood through retirement.
Highly detailed illustrations bring his story to life.

[June Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautiful picture book biography of Mr. Carver caught my eye on the library shelf because of its evocative cover artwork which made me want to read the book the instant I glanced at it!

The beginning of the book reviews the information about Mr. Carver's early life as a member of an enslaved family of three who were owned by Mr. and Mrs. Carver in Diamond Grove, Missouri. When he was an infant, he and his mother were kidnapped in 1864 and taken to Arkansas. George was rescued by a family friend, but his mother was never seen again.

Skip forward to 1874 . . . Readers are introduced to a garden the boy kept hidden on the Carver's farm. He liked to grow flowers, but the Carvers told him not to let his love of flowers take him away from his real chores.

George was a sickly child, so he spent more time collecting rocks and filling the house with interesting plants. Susan Carver taught him to be helpful by teaching him creative ways of making use of the little that they had to make sewing needles from turkey feathers, dyes from nuts and berries, and medicine from plants and leaves.

His dream was to go to school to learn as much as he could about stones, flowers, insects, birds, and beasts. However, the schools were segregated and he was not permitted to attend schools for White children.

This determined child decided to study nature by creating his own 'classroom' in the woods on the Carver's farm. He wanted to grow flowers. He made a decision to grow his flowers in a secret garden. He called God 'the Great Creator', and he believed his garden was a gift from God. He experimented with seeds and a variety of growing techniques.

He used berries to make paints along with twigs and grasses to make paintbrushes. Then he painted the life cycles of the flowers in his garden. He discovered how to protect the roots of his plants during the harsh Missouri winters so that the plants would return in the spring.

The secret got out about George's ability to heal sick plants, so part of his garden was used as a plant hospital. Neighbors called George the 'Plant Doctor.' With great relief, he realized he no longer needed to keep his garden a secret.

At the age of twelve, he left home on his own to become educated and to give back to 'his' people as he had learned from an early mentor. In 1896 he graduated from Iowa Agricultural College as the first Black man to study at, graduate from, and teach there.

Booker T. Washington hired George to teach agriculture at the Tuskegee Institute. Carver built the institute's first farming laboratory. Along with all of his experiments with peanuts, soybeans, and sweet potatoes, he taught the local farmers how to improve their yield by growing food crops over cotton.

Mr. Carver created a traveling schoolhouse to visit poor farmers. The Jessup Agricultural Wagon offered "everything from tool demonstrations to medical care to pamphlets on how to improve farms and live healthier."

The book ends with this powerful quote from George Washington Carver,

"Regard Nature.
Revere Nature.
Respect Nature."

Back Matter includes a detailed timeline beginning with his birth and ending with the entry that in 1945 the US Congress designated the anniversary of his death--January 5, 1943--as George Washington Carver Recognition Day; a Bibliography; and a Further Reading list.

Highly-recommended for children and adults alike!

##########################

[Kim Tyo-Dickerson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful picture book biography of George Washington Carver that I purchased for our Upper School Library to support our Grade 6 Scientists inquiry unit. The illustrations are stunning, magical in their depiction of the little Black boy in tattered clothes finding refuge in the flowers and fields surrounding the home where he grew up as a slave. George Washington Carver's story is so inspiring in an of itself, that the list of tragedies he overcame and the amazing list of accomplishments he nonetheless achieved under the racist political and social structures in the segregated United States, makes up for the slow narrative pacing and rather abrupt final pages. It is unfortunate that the white font is difficult to read on many of the darker pages of patterned leaves. Nonetheless, this overview of his childhood spent exploring nature and caring for plants, in effect teaching himself to follow his passions and learn how to be a quiet, persistent observer of the natural world, is the perfect launch for a further study of his life in fuller biographies, notably Cheryl Harness's The Groundbreaking, Chance-Taking Life of George Washington Carver and Science and Invention in America: Booker T. Washington of Tuskegee, Black Americans Struggle Up from Slavery, American Inventors Then and Now, and Much, Much More, which I read next and also reviewed.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

George Washington Carver grew up to be a famous botanist and inventor. In 1921, he spoke before Congress, talking about how the humble peanut could be used to make so many different products. This famous man’s connection with plants and the earth came from an early age in the form of his own secret garden. Born into slavery in 1864, he was kidnapped as an infant along with his mother. His mother was never found, but George was brought back to slavery. George and his brother grew up on the farm, even after slavery was abolished. Every day, George headed to the woods and the garden he was growing there. He learned all about plants without being mocked or teased, soon helping people in the area with their sick plants. He grew up, got an education, and became an Agriculture professor at Tuskegee Institute He also traveled the United States working directly with farmers to answer their questions and improve their farms.

Barretta’s picture book biography of this famous African-American scientist and genius is fascinating and filled with moments of wonder. The frightening kidnapping in his infancy, his start as a slave and then working on a farm for his previous owners, and his incandescent mind finding a way forward to learn and grow all add up to a remarkable life. The text is engagingly written for a compelling read.

Morrison’s art is phenomenal. The browns of the days of manual labor on the farm contrast with the bright greens, growing shoots, and tall trees of George’s secret garden. The two parts of his life could not appear more different.

A fascinating look at a remarkable man. Appropriate for ages 6-9.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biography of GWC, focussing mostly on his childhood. He apparently was a local "plant doctor" with a secret garden where he observed and recorded his plants throughout the seasons, becoming knowledgeable about what they needed so that neighbors would consult him about their ailing shrubs. But he had to move to get educated, since his town was too racist to let African Americans get educated (he was born before the Civil War, but a small child when it ended so he had no memories of being enslaved. His mother was kidnapped and probably sold on; he never heard from her).

The book starts with GWC testifying before an hostile US Congress, which he won over with his enthusiasm and scientific knowledge and ideas for peanut uses. Then it goes back to his birth, childhood, and difficult quest for an education, involving several moves and a few tries at finding a college that would honor their acceptance letters after they saw the color of his skin. Finally he settled at the Tuskegee Institute where he helped rural farmers (see peanuts, above).

The illustrations are painterly, and after reading Beautiful Shades of Brown: Laura Wheeler Waring, Artist I'm aware enough to appreciate the many hues of the people on the pages. Backmatter includes a timeline, a brief biography and some further reading. It's a beautiful book with a good storyline.

[Prabhat sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver by Gene Barretta, Illustrator Frank Morrison- Children’s Illustrated Colour Picture Book- The book narrates the story of childhood of Afro-American George Washington Carver. When George Washington Carver was just a young child, he had a secret: a garden of his own. Here, he rolled dirt between his fingers to check if plants needed more rain or sun. He protected roots through harsh winters, so plants could be reborn in the spring. He trimmed flowers, spread soil, studied life cycles. And it was in this very place that George’s love of nature sprouted into something so much more. His hard work in the field was the light for his bright future. The book showcases his curiosity and love for nature from his earliest days after being born into slavery in 1864. He tended a secret garden and learned an incredible amount of knowledge from trial and error. He learned how to sew, make dyes, create medicine from plants and leaves. At the age of 12, he moved away from his childhood home and traveled through several states continuing to learn about art and agriculture. He was the first Black man to graduate from Iowa Agricultural College and he went on to teach agriculture at Tuskegee Institute. On the very last page of this book, we are left with a final thought, which appeared to be his mantra: "Regard Nature. Revere Nature. Respect Nature." The back matter includes a timeline of Carver's life, along with a bibliography and selections for further reading. Coloured illustrations help the reader in relating to the story.

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver is a children's picture book written by Gene Barretta and illustrated by Frank Morrison. George Washington Carver tended a secret garden of flowers before becoming known for his skill in agriculture.

Barretta's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Barretta opens this sensitive biography on a moment of triumph as Carver overcomes the scorn of a roomful of white congressmen in 1921. Backmatter includes a timeline, bibliography, and further reading. Through myriad lush garden scenes and impressive portraiture by Morrison, Carver emerges as a generous figure, a living folk hero, able to do whatever he set out to and always ready to serve humanity.

The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Forbidden an education, Carver teaches himself by patient experimentation with flowers that he cultivates in secret so no one could find them or tease him. Eventually, he becomes a local asset as the Plant Doctor. The text explains why peanuts were crucial as cotton had exhausted the soil and celebrates Carver's formidable success as peanuts become the South's most popular crop.

All in all, The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver is a wonderful biography with memorable art.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barretta not only tells the reader of the many things Carver learned from his secret garden, but how he shared them with others throughout his life. The oil paintings by Morris depict beautiful scenery and the very distinct life-like features of the people in the book.
Carver was not only a self taught young man who used turkey feathers to make sewing needles, dyes from nuts and berries, and plants and leaves for medicine, but pushed to get higher education even though Highland College refused to admit when they found out he was black. He became the first black to attend, graduate and teach at Iowa Agriculture College. He then went on to build Tuskegee Institute's first farming laboratory. He developed 300 uses for peanuts and experimented with new crops to replace cotton in the southern states. He also created a traveling school house named the "Jesup Agricultural Wagon" to visit poor farmers. He help to save many farms and families. Two years after his death the United States Congress designated January 5 as George Washington Carver Recognition Day. The book includes a detailed timeline, a bibliography and further reading about Carver.
This picture book is for all ages. I even learned some information about Carver's life that I did not know.