Book Spotlight of Gardens Are For Growing provided by Chelsea Tornetto
The Children’s Book Review

Written by Chelsea Tornetto

Illustrated by Hsulynn Pang

Familius Publishing | ISBN-13: 9781641706469

In today’s fast-paced world of screens and social media, there aren’t many places where we can escape the noise and focus on something real.  A garden is one of those magical places where the chaos of the day fades away and simple pleasures take center stage. 

In this poignant and beautifully illustrated picture book, a father teaches his young daughter the simple pleasures of the garden…and of life.  Each spread shows the parallels between the stages of growth in a backyard garden and the stages of childhood.   The young girl starts as a “small sprout,” grows stronger with support and care from dad, and finally becomes the strong and productive young adult she’s meant to be. 

In the end, the cycle continues as she returns to the garden with her own child…and dad becomes a grandpa!

Young children will giggle at the classic gardening moments –  from uncovering wiggly worms to running through sprinklers.  And parents and grandparents are sure to be inspired to plant a few sunflower seeds and make some new memories!

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About the Author

Chelsea Tornetto is a world geography teacher in Jackson, Missouri, and is the author of God Made You Too (Worthy 2022) and Conquering Content Vocabulary (Scholastic 2018). While she is a terrible gardener, her husband, Mike, has a green thumb, and she’s blessed to be able to watch him raise vegetables—and their two children—in their backyard garden all summer long.

About the Author

Hsulynn Pang is lucky enough to have made a living out of what most people would call a hobby from the comforts of her home: making drawings and paintings. Hsulynn spent much of her childhood exploring the outdoors, which inspires her nature-focused artwork today. She currently lives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with her husband, Sam, and her daughter, Harper, getting up to adventures of their own.

Read our exclusive interview: Chelsea Tornetto Discusses Gardens Are For Growing