FICTION

Here in the Garden

by Briony STEWART
illus. by Briony Stewart. 36p. Kane Miller. Jun. 2015. Tr $11.99. ISBN 9781610673488. LC 2014939759.
COPY ISBN
K-Gr 2—In this Australian import, a young boy mourns the loss of his pet rabbit. The child reminisces about the fun times they shared: "We'd skip over fallen branches and search for leaves that were the biggest and the brightest. You'd help me plant seedlings in the garden as we chatted and hummed like the birds." The lyrical text wistfully yearns, "I wish that you were here." Stewart's warm watercolor illustrations capture the changing seasons and the sweet friendship of the constant companions as they share the cool shade of a tree in summer and splash in puddles after a spring rain. The reassuring message that the boy's beloved friend lives on "in the memories, in the garden, in my heart" is also conveyed by small background details such as rabbit-shaped leaves and shadows.
VERDICT A gentle story about the cycle of nature and dealing with loss.
Reviewed by Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada
Throughout the year, a boy visits his backyard and reminisces about the enjoyable time he spent there with his rabbit--who has presumably died. The illustrations, which shift back and forth in time showing the pet alive as well as absent, may confuse younger readers, but they're nonetheless friendly enough to make the sentimental story approachable.
, May 01, 2015

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