Roses for Gita

Gita #2

by Rachna Gilmore, Alice Priestley (Illustrator)

When she hears her grouchy elderly neighbor playing his fiddle in his garden one morning, Gita decides to try to make friends. But is it possible for two people who seem so very different to find common ground? The old man and the young girl discover that their shared love of music and growing things overcomes differences.

Genres: Picture Books

24 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Rachna Gilmore is the best-selling, critically acclaimed Governor General’s Award winning author of numerous books with multiple honours and awards. Her publications include picture books, early readers, middle grade and young adult novels, as well as adult fiction.
Rachna’s books are sold internationally with translations in French, Danish, German, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, Bengali, Chinese as well as several other languages. A skilled and experienced presenter, Rachna gives inumerable readings and workshops in schools, libraries and conferences across the country as well as internationally.
Born in India, Rachna has lived in London, England and Prince Edward Island. She now lives in Ottawa where she continues to plark (play, work, lark) at dreaming up weird and wonder-filled tales.

http://www.rachnagilmore.ca/bio.html

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second of three picture-books featuring Gita, a young Indian immigrant living in Canada, Roses for Gita follows its eponymous heroine as she longs for roses and a garden, like the one her Naniji, or grandmother, had back in India. Her neighbor Mr. Flinch has a beautiful garden, but the irritable old man chases her away every time he catches her looking at it. But then an impulsive act of kindness leads to an unexpected friendship, as both neighbors discover that the other is not what they thought...

A sweet and engaging tale, one which features a number of important themes - living as an immigrant in a new country, making friends across cultural and age divides, resolving conflict through generosity and understanding - without ever becoming didactic, Rose for Gita is a worthy follow-up to the poignant Lights for Gita , and an appealing predecessor to A Gift for Gita . Although the second book in Rachna Gilmore's trilogy of picture-books about young Gita, it is the third I have read, as my library system only recently purchased a copy. I'm glad they did, as I feel the entire series is an engaging look at the experiences of a young Indian-Canadian girl, and how she comes to feel at home in her new country, and is well worth picking up. Recommended to young readers looking for stories about the immigrant experience, or seeking children's book featuring Indian characters.

[Sasha Roma · Rating 5 out of 5]

حبيت القصة 🌻🌸🌺🌼🌹🌷

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gita, a young girl, creates a garden similar to the one she had back home in India. Gita makes friends with the grouchy neighbor, Mr. Flinch. They share a love for music and gardening. Her perspective of her neighbor changed. This is a good book to show that kindness goes a long way. Also, we can’t fully understand one another until we get to know them.

[Stephanie Whitley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice story about ageism.