Millie Fleur's Poison Garden

Millie Fleur

by Christy Mandin

*A great book for holiday gifting, and one of the best picture books of 2024!

*An instant New York Times and Indie Bestseller!

Wednesday Addams meets The Curious Garden in this delightfully peculiar story. Millie Fleur's Poison Garden is a reminder to embrace everything that makes us wonderfully weird.



Garden Glen is a very bland place. Every house and every garden looks exactly like the other. That is… until Millie Fleur La Fae comes to town.



Up on a scruffy hill, beside a ramschackle house, Millie Fleur plants her marvelously strange garden, filled with Sneezing Stickyweed, Fanged Fairymoss, and Grumpy Gilliflower. Millie Fleur finds it enchanting, but the townspeople of Garden Glen call it poison!



But Millie Fleur is proud of her beloved little garden. So if some townspeople want to be sticks in the mud, she'll take matters into her own hands and find the kindred spirits who appreciate everything the garden has to offer.



Millie Fleur's Poison Garden encourages readers to embrace what makes them wonderfully weird! Perfect for readers of The Creepy Carrots and fans of the Addams Family movies.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Gardening, Fantasy, Nature, Halloween

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2024

Reviews

[Gabrielle (Reading Rampage) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so adorable! The weird little girl who still lives inside my head delighted in following Millie Fleur's adventures in gardening the cutest creepy plants! I think I am living proof that this book will enchant people of any age if they are fans of the Addams family, but it is sure to make little girls and boys giggle and hopefully, interested in gardening... lethal or non-lethal plants...

Stay weird, kids: you will find your tribe eventually!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally! A children's book to teach us the evils of HOAs!

In all seriousness though, Millie Fleur's Poison Garden is delightful and adorable. With lovely illustrations, it tells the story of a young girl who moves to a town where all of the houses and yards look the same until she plants an elaborate and wild garden filled with monstrous plants. She has to fight back against adults who would force conformity by teaching others to love plants even when they're weird. The story is an absolute delight to read, and it shows love for all the weird kids out there, along with their weird hobbies. The book is also based on the real Poison Garden at Alnwick, and it includes information about it in the end notes, along with information about a couple of weird plants that are real and can be grown at home.

I would definitely recommend checking this out. Weird kids, kids into spooky stuff, and kids who love plants and gardens will especially be charmed by this one.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an adorable picture book with an important message: It's ok to be different, and it's good to be so! The whimsical illustrations are beautiful. I love all of Millie's creepy plants, especially the Ghost Nettle. So cute.

[Manybooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Christy Mandin's 2024 picture book Millie Fleur's Poison Garden main protagonist Millie Fleur La Fae and her single mother are shown as moving to the town (or village) of Garden Glen, which is both textually and visually shown as being a pretty much suburban wasteland with strict (or rather draconian) rules and regulations regarding how one's garden and lawn are supposed to appear (well, at least that is my personal opinion about what both Mandin's pictures and her textual descriptions of Garden Glen and the their box-like carbon copy houses with their meticulously trimmed and visually boring lawns and horribly sterile gardens are and represent, except of course for one house, that is, and later on also a garden, namely where Millie Fleur La Fae and her mother have moved and reside).

Located at the very edge of Garden Glen, Millie Fleur loves her and her mother's new domicile and appreciates that the house is unique, a bit spooky looking, a bit run-down. But yes, since there is no garden, something is missing for Millie, and Millie Fleur's Poison Garden both textually and visually shows how Millie recreates the garden from where she used to live in Forest Glen (with seeds her mother has brought along), how this runs afoul of the rules of the Rosebud Club (kind of like a typical and anally retentive HOA), how finally, Millie triumphs and her non standard garden is not only accepted but spreads throughout Garden Glen with her schoolmates and teacher visiting Millie's garden and then also bringing cuttings back to their own houses and planting them. Ha, ha, ha, so there, Rosebud Club, and I do personally find it nicely cheering that in Millie Fleur's Poison Garden Christy Mandin's story and even more so her artwork make both the Rosebud Club and its members look and act like uninteresting, entitled and dictatorial busybodies and that by the end of Millie Fleur's Poison Garden, Millie's poison garden is considered wonderfully weird, delightfully unique and as something that is transforming Garden Glen for the better, that Millie Fleur La Fae and her mother have nicely and totally succeeded and how being unique is now seen and celebrated as laudable in Garden Glen and no longer as something to be condemned, criticised and feared.

However, although both my adult reading self and even more so my inner child have really enjoyed Mandin's combination of text and images for Millie Fleur's Poison Garden (and also find it rather neat that while Millie Fleur's classmates are illustratively depicted as being ethnically diverse and also show a young boy using a wheelchair, the members of the Rosebud Club all look rather pathetic, sour-tempered and weirdly generic), especially my adult reading self would certainly much prefer Millie's plants in Millie Fleur's Poison Garden not to be imaginary and strange, but local and endemic to the area of Garden Glen weeds, grasses etc. In other words, instead of a strange and weird garden with massively fantastical flowers, I do kind of wish that Christy Mandin would make Millie and her mother create a wildflower or a butterfly garden (and yes, that Millie Fleur's Poison Garden thus uses and shows imaginary plants and flowers, this does bother me a bit and also makes my personal star rating not five but instead four stars, as indeed, I definitely am even with my massive both textual and illustrative enjoyment of Mandin's text and illustrations of Millie Fleur's Poison Garden rather disappointed that Millie's battle with the Rosebud Club is not really a battle for rewilding the suburbs and making lawns having gardens promote local and wildlife friendly vegetation).

[Kristin Dudish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Millie Fleur’s Poison Garden is a book you’ll want to read again and again! (Every time I read this book I find a fun new detail tucked into the fabulous illustrations.) As a child who often felt “different”, I would have delighted in Millie’s wonderfully weird interests and been inspired by her courage to remain true to herself.

[Megan Sanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the danger of HOAs

[Phyllis Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am IN LOVE with this book!!!! I loved looking at every detail of the wonderfully weird plants. Both boys and girls will eat this up! It is brilliantly written and the art is so wonderfully engaging. This is going to help kids embrace being unique and different in a big way.

[Abeer Arain · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a cute book! It is a unique concept explained through some witty, beautiful, and unique illustrations. Great job by the author and illustrator! The book made me watch a few videos on carnivorous plants and, of course, The Poison Garden of England.

[Angel]

This is a delightful picture book that gives me strong “Little Shop of Horrors” vibes, blending whimsical charm with a hint of mystery. The vibrant illustrations and playful storytelling draw you in, much like the quirky world of Audrey and Seymour. It’s a perfect read for anyone who enjoys a bit of eerie magic woven into a charming narrative.

[Michelle Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Predictable ending but adorable illustrations.

[Stay · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Your garden is different from anything they've seen before. Some people are scared of things that are different."

The cover immediately draws you into the world of little Millie Fleur and her poison garden. The pages are just as clever and vibrant as the cover. The story is charming with a strong message. This is a story I would have loved as a child. (I do as an adult)

Never change who you are for other people. Not everyone will love who you are, but the only person who has to like you is you!

[Joshua Gross · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute book about embracing differences. It's not doing anything groundbreaking but the plants and illustrations are fun

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this children’s picture book. It’s good to be different!

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The story follows Millie and her mother as they move into a Stepfordian-esque neighbourhood. To make it feel more like home, Millie plants the garden with some of her favourite odd & eerie flowers. Unfortunately, this upsets some of her neighbours, who like everything to be the same. Will Millie think of a way to keep her garden?

The book is cute, and you definitely get the Addams family inspiration mentioned in the summary. I’m pretty sure the house Millie and her mother move into is a copy of the Addams’ house from the TV shows. I’m sure fans of the older series as well as the most recent adaptation would give it a look - ultimately, though, they might be disappointed.
While I got a kick out of the author’s creativity in coming up with so many different plants, the story itself isn’t as entertaining. It’s a fairly standard story about being yourself and accepting other’s differences - not that this isn’t an important message, but there’s only so many times you can read it, especially as blatantly spelled out as it is here.
Overall impression - it’s cute, and readers would get a kick out of the different plants. A fun activity for teachers or guardians would be to get the kids to come up with their own plants. I think an adult having to read it (especially repeatedly) would find it gets old fast, though.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Millie Fleur is a long-lost family member from Adam’s family tree. This picture book has beautiful illustrations and a well-crafted story, and it makes you wish you could grow unique, poisonous plants (with funny names).

With the support of her mother, Millie stands true to herself (and her garden) while others are questioning their purpose. Join Millie Fleur in growing poisonous plants and letting your creativity have no limits!

Christy Mandin includes diverse characters, imagination, a connection to a historical poisonous garden, and more!

(ARC sent by Scholastic Publishing)

[Haleigh Gravgaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

delightfully adorable! Millie Fleur gives off vibes of Young Morticia

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dare to be different!

[Jeremy · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a cute book, but I'm growing a bit weary of the Wednesday Adams shtick.

[Stephanie ((Strazzybooks)) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the illustrations and the clever little details hidden in them, but I wanted more from the story.
This little town has so much potential!

[archives diasporiques · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations are top tier

[Kathie · Rating 3 out of 5]

true evil is an HOA

[Suhasa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wholesome!

[Hannah | Reading Under Covers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so cute!! And the illustration style was an instant hit for me - it has a strong Tim Burton feel to it!

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off obsessed with the art! Also the fact that it’s inspired by a garden in England is really cool! Just a cute little reminder it’s okay to be different <3

[kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good, weird, wacky childrens book! My favorite side character was definitely her toad! Cute story.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Millie Fleur moves to a new house and makes a garden that is not like anyone else's garden. Will anyone else appreciate her garden?

[Dessa Leann Faulkner · Rating 5 out of 5]

giggled the whole time and such a sweet message. perfect. no notes.

[Shanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe 2024 was the year of the Poison Garden stories (Between Prunella and this one). :) Like Prunella, this book offers a glimpse into the life of a girl who is a little bit different from the other people in her town. She wants to grow unique plants and the garden club doesn’t like it at all! But what happens when she decides to include her class in her gardening plans? Will more people accept her uniqueness then?

I enjoyed how Millie was unapologetic in her ways of being different and she and her mom stood up for themselves. They also taught the town a little about what it means to be “a little odd” and that accepting yourself for who you are is the most important thing. I liked that this book showed how one can stand up to bullies who are afraid of someone who is different by helping people learn about the thing that makes them afraid. Very helpful in stories and in life.

Mia’s Year of Books: Day 304

[Abigail Beckwith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was looking for a good book present the other day, and I...I might have bought one for myself instead... Oops? Here's Christy Mandin's "Millie Fleur's Poison Garden."

["Garden Glen is a very bland place. Every house and every garden looks exactly like the other. That is… until Millie Fleur La Fae comes to town.

Up on a scruffy hill, beside a ramschackle house, Millie Fleur plants her marvelously strange garden, filled with Sneezing Stickyweed, Fanged Fairymoss, and Grumpy Gilliflower. Millie Fleur finds it enchanting, but the townspeople of Garden Glen call it poison!

But Millie Fleur is proud of her beloved little garden. So if some townspeople want to be sticks in the mud, she'll take matters into her own hands and find the kindred spirits who appreciate everything the garden has to offer."]

Millie and her mom move to a pretty, pastel town where every house and every garden are identity (think Edward Scissorhands), but they're not so pink themselves. Add to that, they move into the "tumbledown house on a scruffy hill at the edge of town. Rejected and excluded, it stood lifeless with no one to love it" (think Addams Family).

After Millie plants some things in her garden, seeds from her old garden at her old house, she starts to feel much happier and much more at home...until the people in town see what she thinks is pretty.

This book teaches people (not just kids) that just because it's not your cup of tea (not your rose bush) doesn't mean you can hate on it or attempt to ban it. Millie, with her mother's encouragement, stood strong behind her beloved plants, even if they had silly names and looked odd.

I loooooved this book. One of my bigger tattoos is a bouquet of gorgeous flowers that just so happen to be poisonous. Some of the flowers in Millie's garden are real (just illustrated dramatically) and some are cleverly imaginary. They're all beautifully done and utterly adorable (and totally tattoo-worthy).

This book was partially inspired by the Poison Garden at Alnwick Castle. If you've never heard of it, research it; it's glorious (and toooootally on my bucket list).

Quote of the Day: "Your garden is different from anything they've seen before. Some people are scared of things that are different."

#milliefleurspoisongarden #christymandin #alnwickcastlepoisongarden #books #childrensbooks #childrenspicturebooks #picturebooks #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first read about this book I immediately knew it was a great book for my daughter. I gifted it to her for Christmas this year and we've read it every night since! It's a story about going against the grain and liking different things. Millie moves into the one house that is different from the others in her neighborhood. She is homesick but her alas, momma to the rescue because she brought seeds from Millie's old garden with her to the new house! So Millie plants her garden of interesting plants (with names that play with the kind of plant they are, think Snake plants that have snakes as leaves) which are so very different from the gardens of roses the other houses have. When confronted about her "poison garden," Millie grapples with planting some roses to make the others happy. Instead, she invites her class to come see her garden, to show them that different isn't necessarily a bad thing!

It's such a great and perfect book for little ones to read, teaching them that it's okay to like different things and be a little different. Chef's kiss!