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The Garden of Hope
This enchanting tale tells the story of how one little girl finds courage and purpose as she transforms an overgrown and neglected garden into a place of beauty, love… and ultimately hope. With stunning illustrations by Katie Rewse, this is a picture book to treasure.
32 pages, Hardcover
Published August 1, 2018
41 people want to read
About the author
Isabel Otter
83 books14 followersIsabel Otter is a children's book editor and writer. She grew up in rural Herefordshire and is happiest climbing mountains in muddy boots. Isabel loves weaving stories and writing about the world around her.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
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July 31, 2018www.littlebigreads.com
When children are struggling with grief and anxiety, sometimes there are books that can help them through the process and The Garden of Hope is one of these. This book sensitively focuses on the loss of a parent and how Maya, her dad and Pip the dog get through those harder days.
When the sadness and anxiety is getting too much, Dad tells Maya how her mum used the garden to shine a little light when her happiness was lost. “…Your mum knew that by the time the seeds had grown, these worries would have faded away. She called them her seeds of hope.” So Maya starts planting small little seeds and watching them grow into ‘…something new and beautiful.’ From the new bountiful garden come other things that give Maya hope; birds, bees, butterflies, beetles, and ladybirds. The garden encapsulated the grief and carried Mayas worries away.
This beautiful story deals with grief, anxiety and sadness in a way that shows children that they can feel so much better by talking about their hurts and finding hope through things like Maya’s garden of hope.
The author has done very well at bringing this story together in a warm and endearing way but is also real about the fact there are hard days. It isn’t about forgetting your loved one but having courage and using the memory of them to heal. I feel like this is a book you would want to read one on one with a child who has lost a loved one and is most ideal for the 5 and above age group.
The illustrations are lovely and watching the garden go from a mess to blooming flowers and plants is a beautiful journey to watch and is very symbolic of how Maya goes from sadness then finding her joy. I am also going to give a little shout out to the end pages because they are just lovely – nice pale greens, blues and white, it gives you a sense of what beauty is to come in the book.
What stands out with this book is that while the focus is mostly on Maya the child but we also see how dad is coping and Pip the dog. The author hasn’t hidden behind words but is straight up about how they are coping ‘Things had changed since Mum had been gone The house was untidy. Maya, Dad and Pip were a big of a mess.’
I recommend this book for children going through grief, or even those that know someone who is going through a time of loss. It is a good book to talk about how you can remember your loved ones; whether it be a garden like Maya, or painting, sewing, or writing a poem.
When children are struggling with grief and anxiety, sometimes there are books that can help them through the process and The Garden of Hope is one of these. This book sensitively focuses on the loss of a parent and how Maya, her dad and Pip the dog get through those harder days.
When the sadness and anxiety is getting too much, Dad tells Maya how her mum used the garden to shine a little light when her happiness was lost. “…Your mum knew that by the time the seeds had grown, these worries would have faded away. She called them her seeds of hope.” So Maya starts planting small little seeds and watching them grow into ‘…something new and beautiful.’ From the new bountiful garden come other things that give Maya hope; birds, bees, butterflies, beetles, and ladybirds. The garden encapsulated the grief and carried Mayas worries away.
This beautiful story deals with grief, anxiety and sadness in a way that shows children that they can feel so much better by talking about their hurts and finding hope through things like Maya’s garden of hope.
The author has done very well at bringing this story together in a warm and endearing way but is also real about the fact there are hard days. It isn’t about forgetting your loved one but having courage and using the memory of them to heal. I feel like this is a book you would want to read one on one with a child who has lost a loved one and is most ideal for the 5 and above age group.
The illustrations are lovely and watching the garden go from a mess to blooming flowers and plants is a beautiful journey to watch and is very symbolic of how Maya goes from sadness then finding her joy. I am also going to give a little shout out to the end pages because they are just lovely – nice pale greens, blues and white, it gives you a sense of what beauty is to come in the book.
What stands out with this book is that while the focus is mostly on Maya the child but we also see how dad is coping and Pip the dog. The author hasn’t hidden behind words but is straight up about how they are coping ‘Things had changed since Mum had been gone The house was untidy. Maya, Dad and Pip were a big of a mess.’
I recommend this book for children going through grief, or even those that know someone who is going through a time of loss. It is a good book to talk about how you can remember your loved ones; whether it be a garden like Maya, or painting, sewing, or writing a poem.
December 13, 2019
Otter and Kewse tell a story of finding comfort and hope during loss by following the footsteps of a loved one. In this case, it is the planting of seeds and being at one with nature, following the passions of the protagonist's mother, who found gardening both a joy and a form of therapy. This is a story along similar lines to The Pond by Nicola Davies, with nature being a place of solace and also offering inner rebirth.
On several pages, the reader observes just slightly above the little girl and her father, and at others, at a distance deep in the garden. An interesting perspective for the reader to interpret regarding if there is an unseen character/presence watching the father and daughter, whether that be the mother, or the garden itself.
On several pages, the reader observes just slightly above the little girl and her father, and at others, at a distance deep in the garden. An interesting perspective for the reader to interpret regarding if there is an unseen character/presence watching the father and daughter, whether that be the mother, or the garden itself.
December 27, 2019
This is a heart-rending and stunning book, both for the content of the story and the wonderful illustrations which complement the text perfectly. Th story follows a little girl and her feather after having lost the mother of the family and how they deal with their bereavement through their garden.
Absolutely perfect!
Absolutely perfect!
June 23, 2019
I don't know why there is no preview image of the cover for this book*
This book is BEAUTIFUL! Words and pictures and the whole flow of the book.
This is a great book if you are going through a grieving process with your child.
This book is BEAUTIFUL! Words and pictures and the whole flow of the book.
This is a great book if you are going through a grieving process with your child.
December 19, 2019
This book is about a family who have lost their mother, the daughter decides to sort their garden out, she plants seeds and hopes. These seeds then grow helping her to feel calm and happy as they are new and beautiful.
November 7, 2018
The Garden of Hope is a really well written book about a girl who has lost her mother.
This is a really lovely way of showing how to cope with grief through a lovely story
This is a really lovely way of showing how to cope with grief through a lovely story
November 11, 2018
A beautiful told story of a young girl who has recently lost her mother. And who is coming to terms with it.
The words and pictures complement each other extremely well.
The words and pictures complement each other extremely well.
June 25, 2020
A beautiful story exploring grief that follows loss, and how long that can take. Discussing the realities of losing somebody, with use of numerous metaphors within the context of the garden.
January 21, 2022
A touching story about a daughter who loses her mum and ends up restoring hope through gardening with her father.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews