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Miranda's Magic Garden
A contemporary fantasy in which a lonely little girl gains friends and happiness when she listens to her dreams and helps the plants grow a magic garden.
32 pages, Hardcover
Published August 1, 1997
15 people want to read
About the author
Linda Atnip
2 books38 followersA modern-day Renaissance woman, Linda has been published as an author, writer, performing artist, songwriter and water colorist.
Linda graduated from Florida State University where she received teaching credentials in English, Speech and Theatre. She landed her first job in West Palm Beach, FL as a television news journalist for WPTV. Within several years, she relocated to the City of Angels, which she calls home, to pursue a career as an actor.
After making her screen debut in the classic film, MACON COUNTY LINE, Linda continued to perform in theatre, film, television and commercials for a period of ten years. She also was honing her writing skills and published more than 100 freelance articles in major publications.
Linda took a two year sojourn to New Orleans where she served as the Entertainment Editor for NEW ORLEANS MAGAZINE.
Returning to Los Angeles, she penned an audio poetry collection, WHEN THE HEART SINGS. Also, she received a grant from the City of Los Angeles to produce an original one-woman show, THE DREAM VOYAGE at the Barnsdall Theatre in Hollywood.
Linda's next project was the award-winning children's book, MIRANDA's MAGIC GARDEN. She developed an author visit program that showcased her performing skills which has been presented at more than 50 elementary schools in California, Louisiana and Tennessee.
CONVERSATIONS WITH MR. KIKI, her latest tome, has received many excellent reviews and has drawn comparisons to EAT, PRAY, LOVE.
Linda graduated from Florida State University where she received teaching credentials in English, Speech and Theatre. She landed her first job in West Palm Beach, FL as a television news journalist for WPTV. Within several years, she relocated to the City of Angels, which she calls home, to pursue a career as an actor.
After making her screen debut in the classic film, MACON COUNTY LINE, Linda continued to perform in theatre, film, television and commercials for a period of ten years. She also was honing her writing skills and published more than 100 freelance articles in major publications.
Linda took a two year sojourn to New Orleans where she served as the Entertainment Editor for NEW ORLEANS MAGAZINE.
Returning to Los Angeles, she penned an audio poetry collection, WHEN THE HEART SINGS. Also, she received a grant from the City of Los Angeles to produce an original one-woman show, THE DREAM VOYAGE at the Barnsdall Theatre in Hollywood.
Linda's next project was the award-winning children's book, MIRANDA's MAGIC GARDEN. She developed an author visit program that showcased her performing skills which has been presented at more than 50 elementary schools in California, Louisiana and Tennessee.
CONVERSATIONS WITH MR. KIKI, her latest tome, has received many excellent reviews and has drawn comparisons to EAT, PRAY, LOVE.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 28, 2010
Miranda is a lonely child in the middle of a large city. As no other children live nearby, she spends the majority of her time in the small garden behind her apartment building talking to the plants. One day, Miranda sighs and wishes that she could be a flower, at least then she would have other flowers as friends. To her astonishment the Sunflower answers, “We would like to be friends with you, too.” Thus begins a magical journey for the young child.
She is visited in her dreams by the Devas (Sunflower spirits) and an old woman named Keeper of the Earth, who grants Miranda the ability to see inside the invisible world of plants. In return she must grow a Magical Garden. The following night Miranda dreams that she is being chased by a Grizzly Bear in a thunderstorm. After she summons up the courage to turn around and confront her predator, the Bear shape-shifts into the Keeper of the Earth, who rewards her bravery with colorful magic seeds.
The next day, Miranda begins lovingly cultivating her own plot in the garden. She sings to the plants and cares for her new friends with great passion. Massive Sunflowers towered over the girl, while Hibiscus, Lilies, and Daisies surrounded her with a “living kaleidoscope of color.” Eventually, one of Miranda’s neighbors takes a picture of her amazing garden and shows it to a newspaper reporter, who comes to interview the young gardener. When asked her secret to growing such tall Sunflowers, Miranda replies, “We grew the garden together. Plants know what they need to grow. If you listen to them with your inner ears, you can hear their voices. The flowers just want to be loved and cared for.”
After the story ran, television crews and people from all over the city visited to witness the miraculous plot. Miranda then begins to teach other children as small gardens start to spring up throughout the city, and her wish for (human) friends finally comes true.
Children will feel empowered by a young female who is both strong and compassionate. Additionally, issues such as creative problem-solving are addresses when Miranda must deal with a Mole who is undoing all of her hard work. She creates a positive solution whereby she can remain friends with the Mole (and by extension all of her animal relations) and keep her garden plot. The soft illustrations, almost Waldorf-like, bring so much light to the pages that they almost appear to glow. Linda Atnip has crafted an inspirational story that children will never tire of reading. If they do however, not to worry because Linda has also made available an audio book version (which is great for children too young to read but who still hang on to every word of the story).
With so many remarkable books out there such as ‘The Secret Life of Plants’ by Tompkins and Bird, ‘The Lost Language of Plants’ by Stephen Harrod Buhner, and Derrick Jensen’s ‘A Language Older than Words,’ it is wonderful to finally have a children’s version.
She is visited in her dreams by the Devas (Sunflower spirits) and an old woman named Keeper of the Earth, who grants Miranda the ability to see inside the invisible world of plants. In return she must grow a Magical Garden. The following night Miranda dreams that she is being chased by a Grizzly Bear in a thunderstorm. After she summons up the courage to turn around and confront her predator, the Bear shape-shifts into the Keeper of the Earth, who rewards her bravery with colorful magic seeds.
The next day, Miranda begins lovingly cultivating her own plot in the garden. She sings to the plants and cares for her new friends with great passion. Massive Sunflowers towered over the girl, while Hibiscus, Lilies, and Daisies surrounded her with a “living kaleidoscope of color.” Eventually, one of Miranda’s neighbors takes a picture of her amazing garden and shows it to a newspaper reporter, who comes to interview the young gardener. When asked her secret to growing such tall Sunflowers, Miranda replies, “We grew the garden together. Plants know what they need to grow. If you listen to them with your inner ears, you can hear their voices. The flowers just want to be loved and cared for.”
After the story ran, television crews and people from all over the city visited to witness the miraculous plot. Miranda then begins to teach other children as small gardens start to spring up throughout the city, and her wish for (human) friends finally comes true.
Children will feel empowered by a young female who is both strong and compassionate. Additionally, issues such as creative problem-solving are addresses when Miranda must deal with a Mole who is undoing all of her hard work. She creates a positive solution whereby she can remain friends with the Mole (and by extension all of her animal relations) and keep her garden plot. The soft illustrations, almost Waldorf-like, bring so much light to the pages that they almost appear to glow. Linda Atnip has crafted an inspirational story that children will never tire of reading. If they do however, not to worry because Linda has also made available an audio book version (which is great for children too young to read but who still hang on to every word of the story).
With so many remarkable books out there such as ‘The Secret Life of Plants’ by Tompkins and Bird, ‘The Lost Language of Plants’ by Stephen Harrod Buhner, and Derrick Jensen’s ‘A Language Older than Words,’ it is wonderful to finally have a children’s version.
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September 24, 2014Linda Atnip (B.S. '71)
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews