Sophie lives in the city, and her vegetables come from the supermarket. Then she goes to visit her grandparents in the countryside -- and soon discovers how much there is to learn about how things grow!
- Format: hardback
- Size: 275 x 295 mm
- Publisher: Floris Books
- Illustrations: colour illustrations
- Age Range: From 4 to 7 years
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Extent: 40 pages
Description
Sophie lives in the city, and her vegetables come from the supermarket. Then she goes to visit her grandparents in the countryside -- and soon discovers how much there is to learn about how things grow!
Sophie helps her grandfather through the different seasons, finding out about mulching onions, eating flowers, weeding, bees, making salad, catching beetles, digging, earthing up, picking and composting. When winter comes, Sophie has to go home -- but her grandfather has one last surprise for her.
This is a wonderful book for children to learn about allotment or vegetable gardening through Sophie's eager and questioning eyes. Gerda Muller's characterful illustrations accurately depict the garden and its plants through spring, summer, autumn and winter.
Reviews
'Lovely'
-- The Guardian
'Gerda Muller's informative and interesting story makes an excellent option for kids who enjoyed her wordless seasonal board books but are old enough to want to know even more.'
-- Mighty Girl, book blogger
'Join Sophie this summer... to learn about what it takes to grow your very own garden. Discover how gardens change from season to season as plants, insects and wildlife cycle in and out of the garden. Take on chores such as planting, pruning, watering, harvesting, and cooking! From peas to bees, readers will learn the ins and outs of starting, maintaining, and enjoying a garden.'
-- New York Botanical Garden
'It's a wonderful book which my daughter loved and started reading immediately. It's colourful and educational, yet written in a very simple and easy to understand language. It is split in a few sections, each one offering interesting advice about planting your own garden and caring for it. The story is simple and a lot of kids could project themselves into the book character, Sophie.'
-- Green Kiddie blog
'If your children think they would like to have a vegetable garden this spring, How Does My Garden Grow, written and illustrated by Gerda Muller, shows how gardening can be an adventure with feasts to behold as vegetables mature and reach edible size. The story is accompanied and bordered by all sorts of instructive, labeled drawings and lists of all things gardening, very entertaining and informative.'
-- Vermont Country Sampler
'This warm story of a child's summer at her grandparents' French country farm lovingly describes basic gardening techniques. As Sophie and Granddad John work together, city girl Sophie learns how to prepare a plot and then plants seeds, waters them, and watches the seedlings grow into productive plants. She helps harvest and eat the peas, radishes, and green beans that come from her garden instead of a supermarket. Fresh colours abound in the illustrations of Sophie, her grandparents, and her new friends. Creatures important to gardeners -- birds, butterflies, bees, rabbits, bats, moles, worms, slugs, snails, and grubs -- are beautifully pictured, as are the vegetables harvested throughout the summer. Sophie helps with autumn garden chores and late harvests as well as winter preparations during weekend visits. When spring comes again, Sophie creates a garden on her balcony with a friend. This combination of engaging story and gardening information will delight and teach readers.'
-- Frances E. Millhouser, School Library Journal
'The illustrations of vegetables are easy to recognise and name -- and the recipes simple and look delicious!'
-- Kindling, The Journal for Steiner Waldorf Early Childhood Care and Education
'A bright book to teach children where our food comes from.'
-- Juno
'A wonderful book for children to learn vegetable gardening through Sophie's eager and questioning eyes. Gerda Muller's characterful illustrations accurately depict the garden and its plants through spring, summer, autumn and winter.'
-- A Mighty Girl Blog
Author
Gerda Muller is an acclaimed Dutch children’s author and illustrator. Born in 1926 in Naarden, Netherlands, Gerda studied at the Fine Arts School of Amsterdam and L'École Estienne of Paris and has lived in France for over 70 years. Gerda's greatest inspiration is her love of nature and her picture books are treasured for their vibrant and detailed illustrations of the natural world. Gerda has illustrated over 120 books for children many of which have been translated into multiple languages. She is the creator of The Wildwood Elves, The Town Musicians of Bremen, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the wordless Seasons board books, Where Do They Go When It Rains?, A Year Around the Great Oak, and A Year in Our New Garden, a USBBY Outstanding International Book.
