We Are the Gardeners

by Joanna Gaines, Julianna Swaney (Illustrator)

Our journey as gardeners started with one small potted plant, but things did not go as planned. Turns out, trying something new isn't always easy, but sometimes, it's the hardest work that leads to the greatest reward.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Gardening, Nature, Nonfiction, Family, Science

40 pages, Hardcover

First published March 26, 2019

About the author

Joanna Gaines is co-owner, co-founder and lead designer of Magnolia Homes, and co-stars in HGTV’s Fixer Upper with her husband Chip Gaines. She is the mother of five and lives in Waco, Texas.

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A garden is hard work, but so is most of the good, important stuff in life."

Chip buys Joanna and her children a young fern.

At first, everything goes swimmingly...but then something tragic happens.

"Turns out, trying something new isn't always easy, but sometimes, it's the hardest work that leads to the greatest reward."

Having a little fern friend was fun, and the Gaines children decided that they want to do more.

But just because something is difficult, doesn't mean they are going to give up.

From indoor plants to their first garden - Joanna and her children share all their ups and their downs.

They learn from their mistakes and bond together as a family.

"We are the Gardeners."

Overall, this one was extremely cute and endearing.

The illustrations are sweet and appealing - the plants were whimsical and fun and the children were adorable.

The book's plot meandered a bit but in a good way - I liked how we jumped around and how the story didn't have a clear beginning-middle-end with a HUGE moral for the children.

To me, the best kinds of books just go on an adventure and the audience is just swept along - which is exactly what happened here.

Definitely one to read with the young gardener in your life!

YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads

[Brittany Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Garden adventures!

"By mistake, we loved that plant to death."

I am new to the gardening journey! You don't even want to know how many bamboo souls I have put to rest, unfortunately. I knew this CHILDREN'S book would have valuable information, be beautiful because it's written by the fabulous Joanna Gaines, and be funny because of her husband Chip's humor. The illustrator captured their lives perfectly! (Yes, even Wayne's coating inside her home and the layout of her garden/farm, the details are amazing!)

So what did I learn?
• A plant's leaves can communicate its needs.
• Don't give up after the first time, a garden GROWS by trying again.
• Most plants like to sip, not gulp!
(I wish I would have read this before drowning my roses the last 2 days, crapola!)
• Ferns like shade, not direct sunlight.
• Aphids (pronunciation is included for kids) are villains in the garden, ladybugs eat them.
• Worms eat dead roots and leaves. (I had forgotten what they ate!)

"Every failure or setback teaches us something."

Particular words in the story were bold in all caps such as FRESH HOPE & PLOT TWIST! These evoked great emotion and were funny! This is a feel-good book full of encouragement, positivity, and beauty. If it turns my thumb green, I'll be so happy!

I learned helpful tips such as picking a few weeds every day is easier than letting them take over and to continue to honor the small beginnings. These were perfect little messages for me at a perfect time! I'm extremely happy to have our own home again, but I've not been digging picking weeds for hours every other weekend. I'll now be incorporating some of these minor tips into my gardening routine and letting the inspiration and motivation that Joanna and her family have created within me to create much beauty and life around me.

I look forward to checking out Joanna's books for adults! This is a great children's book, if you are looking for in-depth gardening secrets you'd be best to find another resource, this was more for inspiration and sharing their journey as gardeners.

I borrowed this e-book from Amazon Prime Reading with my Amazon Prime Account. All reviews from me are honest and voluntary.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

So... confession: I initially did not make the connection as to why this book had twenty-five holds at the library ahead of me when most of the other books I was looking up had maybe one or two at most. I was simply browsing the "gardening" titles in juvenile literature and came across it, thought the cover art looked charming, and placed my hold. Only after I got the book did I realize the author is *that* Joanna Gaines. Admittedly, I know who she is. I've seen the TV show in such places as doctor office waiting rooms but I didn't realize she had literary talents. So, it was with a bit of trepidation that I cracked open this "celebrity-authored" book.

Fortunately, it was really rather pleasant. A few sections needed a bit of pruning, IMO, and sometimes the tone was just a tad too cutesy-conversationalist for my tastes, but overall it brimmed with warmth and optimism and I think it deserves to be read for its own merits. I appreciate that the story shows a few failures. So often, gardening books are "plant seed, tend garden, reap bountiful harvest" and such an easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy look at gardening is rather unrealistic for most novices (and even some green thumbs). It's great this story shows children that there can be setbacks in gardening (and, ahem, life) but that if you keep going with a positive attitude you can rise above.

Oh, and the illustrations are a delight. Detailed, whimsical and so very lovely. I really wanted to walk right into the pages.

[Jasmine from How Useful It Is · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for my toddler’s bedtime. Great book about the family starting a garden, first with a potted plant but it died because they overwatered it. Then they read up some library books on how to care for plants. They started a garden in the backyard after their second indoor plant survived. There were ups and downs to gardening which I personally have experience with this summer too. Love the illustrations.

Read from kindle unlimited.

[Noura Khalid (theperksofbeingnoura) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the publishers for the gifted review copy!

Really enjoyed this little book! so cute and perfect for children.

[Rowena ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cuento ilustrado corto infantil + 5 años
Un precioso y sencillo cuento con ilustraciones tipo acuarela con colores suaves. Páginas enteras a color con poco texto. Trata de forma muy por encima el proceso de cómo desde que compraron un helecho en una maceta en una tienda hasta que empezaron a interesarse por las plantas en general, leer sobre ellas y de ahí dieron el salto a tener un huerto, un proyecto que llevaron a cabo en familia arrimando todos el hombro . Un cuento para leer en familia.

[Stefanie Foard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the Gaines family, and this has beautiful illustrations, but it's kinda boring...and too long to read for library storytime.

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this could’ve been a lot better. It read like a school report for 5th grade. Loved the idea, just wish it was developed more.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet illustrations and a story about how a family started gardening. A tale reinforcing the minds sets of hard work, not quitting, and turning failures into lessons.

Ages: 4 - 9

[Yaritza · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are planning to create your own garden then look no further. This book goes through how to plan your garden and the number of mishaps you can encounter in creating your garden and the after effects. Joanna and her children learned many lessons while first taking care of a fern and then deciding on creating an outdoor garden. I loved how this was a planned project together as a family and provided you with some great tips. Having your own garden lets you eat healthy fruits and vegetables while you get to see everything growing right before your eyes. I love plants but find that they don't live long when I am taking care of them. We have our own garden thanks to my dad. The illustrations were superb. I highly recommend you pick this book up. All ages will enjoy.

[Katelyn Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a great book for story time with toddlers...maybe for 6 and up. It is just too wordy and too much information for really young kids to understand at that age...

[Mercedé Khodadadi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another sleepless night and another book, so here's another review: this book is about persistence, not giving up and being hopeful and learning from our mistakes. The book starts with the father of the family buying a pot of fern for his kids. The kids kill the plant by overwatering it, but instead of getting disappointed and let having plants go for good, they try to learn from their mistakes and learn how to raise this plant. Eventually they ended up having a beautiful garden in their yard.

Dating of starting and finishing reading the book according to Persian calendar: Saturday 29 Dey 1403 (it's actually the 30th, now we are past midnight).

[Kathryn (Dragon Bite Books) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review first published on my blog, Nine Pages .

To read this one out loud, I cut sentences, I cut paragraphs, I cut pages. It was just long. Honestly, it was a chapter book trying to be a picture book. It would have benefited greatly from more editing. I suspect that Gaines was able to rely a bit on her celebrity to get the book that she wanted instead of the book that this could have been. I don’t need to know everything that happened in and to and before this garden to read a good story, nor do I need to know all of the science behind healthy gardens to enjoy a story. The family’s father brings home one fern. That fern dies from overwatering. Another fern is acquired. A watering schedule is established. More ferns are acquired. The ferns become a dream for a larger, outdoor space and more plant variety. The garden grows. It is enjoyed. Another child is born. Animals come and destroy the garden. The garden is regrown. There were lots of facts sprinkled into the text, definitions of terms, advice for growing, explanations of the garden ecosystem. The pastel illustrations were soothing though. The lessons of perseverance through adversity were good. Everything just felt overexplained. And too much seemed to happen, too much seemed to want to be said in the span of only 40 pages. The book is told from a plural first person, the kids collectively narrating.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sort of book is my cup of tea, so to speak, because I love horticulture and the gardening world. There are so many life lessons one can learn through trial and error and the diligence of caring for plants and that is what this book really focuses on. The illustrations are soft and classically sweet. (The fern on the piano... I loved that page! )The only reason for my four star and not a full five stars is because at times I felt that the book was a little lengthier than it needed to be.

Finale thoughts summed up:
-Sweetly illustrated book that expresses the bond and love of a happy family while learning valuable life lessons about hard work and diligence through growing a vegetable garden.

[Rebeca Núñez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un libro maravilloso para leer con los niños. Es un libro para que la familia comparta. Las ilustraciones son hermosas. Es un libro muy cálido, que transmite amor, y también tiene un costado muy practico, ya que brinda consejos dados desde la experiencia, sobre cómo comenzar a plantar, los obstáculos a vencer, etc. Es por eso, que es un libro para leer con los niños, ya que tiene bastante información, y los niños no la aprovecharían al 100%. Pero me parece hermoso, para leer con ellos, y poder compartir el proyecto de una huerta. ** Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review **

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read for the simple fact that I am a fan of Joanna Gaines and well, it was free on Hoopla. Anyway, this was pretty cute and wholesome just like the family portrays themselves to be. She packs in several messages in this 40 page picture book, but it's mainly about working together as a family and perseverance through adversity. I'm not sure what the age range is for the book, but it maybe too wordy for younger kids. Although, I do think they can still enjoy it because the art work is really well done.

[Sharah McConville · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit I don't know the Gaines family as I'm not American but that didn't matter when reading this picture book. I enjoy gardening, so that's what drew me to this book. It contains the most beautiful illustrations. The best I have seen in a long time! The story is lovely and inspirational too. I would love to own a physical copy of this book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy.

[Moonkiszt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Featured in our grandma reads session today.

Necessary information to motivate good behaviors. Gardening with the Gaines family - good message of the non-fatal aspects of everyday failures - they are part of life and opportunities to get back on the horse (or rebuild the garden) and grow your resiliency muscles. Mamas of these kids are big into gardening this year, so was a timely topic. Sweet illustrations, nice tale told from the kids POV.

3 stars. Well attended.

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love gardening and I love children's picture books, so this book was a lovely, little read.

Gardening is hard work, and this book let's you know how our lead family became gardeners! They started small and worked their way up to a more difficult garden. Failure was welcome because you learn from each step! They learned that some plants only like to sip water, not devour it. The ferns did well, but some other plants were much more difficult and required specialized attention!

The colour palette is soft and delightful, plus the pictures are also super cute. They fit the story well and make it feel very homey.

Overall, this book is great! I'd highly recommend young readers to pick this book up!

Four out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for allowing me a copy of this book to read in exchange of an honest review.

[Hannah Jayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

So beautiful and sweet. Feeling inspired to dream up a garden scape and work hard to bring it to life. The prose is not especially elegant, but as it’s kids sharing their story for other kids, it works. Informational for gardening basics (not the least of which is: it can be hard and plants can die) and motivating to be a good steward and caretaker.

Do wish it was a little more specific on the “miracle of life” in sprouting seeds and growing plants and huge bountiful harvests being God’s doing. It’s not not stated. But it would be more wholesome if it was.

“So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.”
‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭3‬.7

[Sarah Ryan (sarahs_reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m sure you’re all getting sick of my Joanna Gaines obsession. Now is the time to exit if you are. When I saw she was coming out with a children’s book, you know I had to immediately request it from the library.

I just recently started collecting children’s books to give away as gifts to family and to my teacher friends. Let me start by saying, this book was adorable. Joanna writes this heart-warming story about her children’s experience with gardening. It talks about their journey that includes victories and failures. The best part about this story is the underlining lesson on picking yourself up if your projects fail or things don’t go as planned. All good things take time, especially with a little love and care. Gardening is the perfect metaphor for growth in and out of the garden beds.

I am glad I picked this baby up from the library. I am currently hitting submit to posting this review while purchasing my own copy on Amazon; Just one more thing to add to my Magnolia collection. This is going to be the perfect gift for any children in your life. Remember this book next time you can’t think of a gift to give your niece or nephew, girlfriend that just gave birth, fellow Magnolia collector. I loved it. (Five Stars. Recommended)

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little book is a true gem about family hobbies, rewarding work, solving problems, stick-to-it-ness--and of course, gardening! It has a wonderfully classic feel that will capture the imaginations of both kids and adults. Families will (hopefully) be clamoring to grow their own gardens after closing the back cover.

And I'll also say that I was very happy to see that when animals damage the garden, the family works together to build secure fencing to keep their veggies safe. There isn't talk of hurting the animals or "getting rid of" them. I'm always encouraged by these little pinpoints of kindness that indicate we're moving toward a more humane world.

[MarinaLawliett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un libro de niños pequeños diciéndome exactamente lo que necesitaba leer hoy, en fin. Me hizo llorar.

[Mim_farahani · Rating 4 out of 5]

عنوان ترجمه فارسی: ما باغبان‌ها

خیلی جذابیت داستانی نداشت. یه‌جورایی تجربه‌های باغبانی یه خانواده بود. از یک گلدان تا یک باغچه بزرگ.
در کل شیرسن بود و اطلاعات قشنگی هم می‌داد.

[Mehsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this picture book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

A very cute picture book about gardening and family. I fell in love with the cover, and just had to request it on Netgalley. And after reading I am even gladder that I got this book, because it was very sweet and gorgeously illustrated.

The book tells us about the Gaines family. How they first started with one little plant, a present for their mom, and how that grew to tons of plants in the home, eventually going outside. We see how to take care for plants (like play piano music, talk to them, give them water but not too much), we see struggles as they take their gardening outside. Plans are made, but sometimes nature has other plans, how will our family go about with those things happening. We learn that one should never give up, that you should keep going, because you are the gardeners. You are the caretakers.

The pages varied from having very little text and tons of gorgeous illustrations to more text and a few illustrations. I quite like the variety, though I have to say I was a bit bored at times with the pages with more text. It just seemed to go on and on while I felt most of these things could have said in lesser words.

As I said, the art was just absolutely gorgeous. At times I stayed on pages a bit longer due to the gorgeousness of the illustrations. I just had to soak it all up.

All in all, a pretty nice picture book about family and gardening.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joanna Gaines’ We Are the Gardeners is an adorable story of, perseverance, and never giving up because failure is only a lesson we can grow from told through planting and maintaining a family garden.

The story line was simple and sweet, offering many life lessons as well as fun facts about nature and gardens. We have been talking about what we will be planting in our garden this year with our three year old, this story was a great accompaniment to these discussions. He was easily able to take home the basic message of the story, afterwards he called his Grandpa to tell him it is okay if his plants die because we can try again.

The illustrations by Julianna Swaney are beautiful. Soft colors and an attention to detail and imagination draw you into the story. Overall, we loved reading it and will definitely be reading it again and again.

Thank you NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Children’s, and Joanna Gains for giving us the opportunity to read and share our toughs. All opinions are my own.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. ***

A good book to introduce kids to gardening...but beware the paragraphs of text! With this layout, it's certainly geared toward older kids- they break the child narration a couple times to explain pollination and all the critters that take care of the garden.

Then illustrations, though, are beautiful. If you have a younger reader, the illustrations provide ample playground for i-Spy or plant/ animal identification.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderful book has delightful colored illustrations and is a great introduction to growing plants and gardening, geared toward children ages 5-8. Besides all the basics of growing plants, also included are applicable life lessons like trying again when you fail, too much of a good thing may not be the best idea, nature is an everyday miracle, working daily on a goal pays off, every hard thing you do makes you braver for the next time.

Highly recommended. 5 stars

[Emily Danielson · Rating 4 out of 5]

In recent months, I’ve been watching Fixer Upper and have read Chip and Joanna’s book The Magnolia Story and Joanna’s The Stories We Tell, which I have enjoyed very much!

I was looking forward to reading Joanna’s version of a children’s book, and love the illustrations included throughout and storytelling throughout!

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sweet book about learning to garden. Cute illustrations and a cute little addition shows up on page 29! This book stresses NOT GIVING UP, and shows the results of perseverance. A good lesson for anyone of any age.