Joy Takes Root

by Gwendolyn Wallace, Ashleigh Corrin (Illustrator)

In her grandmother's garden, a young Black girl learns about mindfulness and herbal medicine in this soothing intergenerational story about our connection to nature.

It's Joy's first summer in her grandmother's South Carolina garden — a rite of passage. In the midst of okra, spinach, and strawberries, Grammy teaches Joy that plants are friends with many uses. Herbs, for example, can be turned into medicine. 
 
There in Grammy's abundant backyard, Joy learns to listen for the heartbeat of the earth and connect it to her own as she takes deep breaths and puts her intentions into the soil. By the story's end, she learns to grow seeds in her own garden, honoring all that her grandmother taught her. With sensory-rich illustrations from award-winning illustrator Ashleigh Corrin, Joy Takes Root is a blissful reminder of all that might bloom.

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Childrens, Nature, African American, Food, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published June 20, 2023

Reviews

[Ms. Woc Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great story about about a grandmother passing down the tradition of gardening to her granddaughter. The grandmother goes on to tell her about the ancestors who farmed before them and about their special connection to the earth. It's inspired by the author's own experiences gardening with her grandmother in South Carolina as a child.

[Angela De Groot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gardening brings me joy. There’s something about pulling weeds, turning soil, and planting seeds that brings contentment and satisfaction. In this lovely, lyrical picture book, a girl shares a special gardening day with her grandmother and learns more than the basics to planting seeds. “Joy closes her eyes and breathes deeply through her nose. She smells the sweetness in the air and feels her thoughts start to slow down a little bit.”

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

A half star for the pictures! The little girl's adorable. The author even put beads in her hair! The grandma squirting Joy with the water hose! Small wonderful details.

Another half star for the love of gardening and plants. Beautiful and important. There are some interesting facts, too!

A star for Joy and her grandms's relationship. The two of them spending time together! Joy soaking it all in. The love they have for each other is needed and wonderful.

Beyond that, the book made me feel a bit uncomfortable, at different points. They also thanked the earth and their ancestors for their blessings, which I didn't like. Because of that, and things like it, I wouldn't read again.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

The latest/possibly last book from Imagination Library, as my kid is aging out soon. This book started out promising, with lovely illustrations and a good depiction of a loving relationship between a girl and her grandmother. I did appreciate the bit about plants being able to be used for medicine, as that’s something I’ve been trying to learn more about myself, and not a topic I’ve seen touched on in many modern kids’ books. But then it did get a bit too woo-woo, earth-worshippy for my comfort.

[Jill S · Rating 5 out of 5]

JOY TAKES ROOT is a sweet, meditative, heartfelt book with important themes about nature, gardening, connections to earth and more… I love the expression of the beautiful intergenerational relationship between grandmother and granddaughter. It’s the type of book where you discover something new with each read. A lovely gift choice for both kids and adults.

[MOSS Kids Book Project · Rating 5 out of 5]

A magical intergenerational story of a young girl, Joy, visiting her grandmother for the summer in South Carolina where she learns all about gardening in Grammy's abundant backyard. Visiting Grammy she learns to listen to the heartbeat of the earth, breath intentions into the soil, and plant her seeds. Watering her seedlings, she learns to remember and hold memories. Afterwards, they take a rest and give thanks to the soil, the seeds, the sun and their ancestors. When she heads home, Joy remembers all her Grammy taught her as she plants her own seeds and watches them take root. But really, it's Joy who takes root in herself, her history, the soil & the earth. Such a beautiful story filled with lyrical text from Gwendolyn Wallace & rich, moving illustrations from Ashleigh Corrin. I cannot wait to see what beauty they both bring next to the literary world.

And also, I wouldn't mind sitting down for some gingersnaps and some warm, sweet tea with Grammy.

[Joanne Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this text with slightly more complex sentences, the Grandma tells the main character, Joy, how to garden. This book however focuses more on the metaphysical, like planting your wishes and intensions along with the seeds, breathing, and thanking the earth and your ancestors while gardening. I did like the idea of opening your imagination and emotions to the people who had gardened the same spot decades or centuries ago, especially in the context of this story where the ancestors are assumed to have been either enslaved or share-croppers. I liked the mention of a garden as both food and as medicine. The art was beautifully colorful and textural. The story had a comforting, circular ending.

[Medeia Sharif · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gwendolyn Wallace’s Joy Takes Root is a lovely story about our connection to plant life. In a South Carolina garden, Joy learns from her grandmother the importance of plants and connecting to ancestors who had their ways of taking care of the soil. Earth is alive and has a wondrous heartbeat. Children will take away so much from this book’s topics on family and gardening. Ashleigh Corrin’s illustrations contain both softness and pops of color that enhance the story.

[Pam Vaughan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a tender story of Joy and her Grammy. They spend time together in the garden where Joy learns to slow down and be in tune with nature. This story is filled with so much love and will be a wonderful read aloud for a grandparent and child. JOY TAKES ROOT encourages conversation and questions and also empowers children to try things their own way with the insight instilled in them. I really enjoyed the caring and sharing in this story.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

OOO ya'll this made me miss my granny!

Joy Takes Root is a love letter to intergenerational relationships/friendships, the special bond between grandparents and grandchildren, and the special connection that the Black community has to plants and gardening. This was a little long for my toddler so I would definitely recommend it for a school age audience, but Wallace did a wonderful job with the storytelling and Corrin's artwork made it feel even more special.

[Stacy Davids · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, serene story about family, nature, and spirituality. This book is excellent for encouraging kids to reflect about their relationships with their grandparents, ancestors, and the earth. While Joy learns about gardening, her grandmother also imparts spiritual lessons that have been passed down from her ancestors. It’s a calming read that’s full of heart. Highly recommended!

[Angela Padron · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story about family and nature. Readers will finish wanting to reflect about their relationships with their world and their ancestry. A heartfelt story showing the connection between our love for family and our planet. I love the interaction between Joy and her grandmother. Highly recommended.

[Karen Lemmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joy goes to South Carolina for the summer and works with her grandmother in her garden. Grammy tells her about herbs that heal and "that plants are our friends and family". Grammy tells Joy that gardening is more than putting seeds in the earth; Joy has to listen, to feel, to breathe and let the plants talk to her. A beautiful story about plants, gardening, sharing stories and love.

[Monica Acker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this intergenerational story of finding joy in nurturing plants to grow from seed. There is a peacefulness that is found in the garden. JOY TAKES ROOT shows how we are connected to the earth and provides a satisfying ending that will have young readers wanting to go get their hands dirty.

[Aolund · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely garden book featuring a Black grandmother and granddaughter who slow down, set intentions, remember their ancestors, and tend to their garden together.

Themes: Garden, Earth, Grandparents
Age range: Preschool-Early Elementary

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joy, a young African-American child, spends summers with her grandmother in South Carolina. This year Grammy teachers her about her garden and how she communes with the earth while she works with the plants.

A sweet multi-generational story about gardening.

[The Library Lady · Rating 2 out of 5]

I used this yesterday in a special story hour at a historic house where our theme was herbs, but I found myself skimming it. The book's design (long horizontal pages and type that is hard to read against the backgrounds) is not great if you are holding it up so that a group can see the pictures. I had to keep half closing the book to read the lengthy text!

Now to the text. This is less about gardening and more about mindfulness, but what I needed was more about gardening. Hence a lengthy text that is sweet, but unless you can read the full text and incorporate the mindfulness into the reading (and I've used other books that do that), it just bombs.

Maybe for one on one reading. Not good for a group. And we could really use a good kids book about herbs and their uses!

[Phobean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw the author of this book on a writer's panel before getting a chance to read her work. She is dynamic, articulate, and beautiful. The content of this story is unique, sweet, and also a bit disarming, compared with its creator. Not disappointing, but I guess surprising.

[Cherish Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3☆ Got something out of, but wouldn’t read again)
I loved how intentional & loving Grammy was with Joy. The book had a sweet storyline. But thanking ancestors & feeling the heartbeat of the earth is outside of my norm.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sweet picture book that takes a different approach to gardening with more of a focus on our connection to Earth.

[Anne with Violets · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's natural and beautiful how a grandmother's love for the land and the plants that grow on it is passed on to her granddaughter.

[Norshakila Makmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

i think its a lovely book teaching kids about appreciating nature, introducing the concept of meditation, and being in the present moment.

[Kelsie Schlipf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how this book highlights a child's relationship with their grandma while also showing the health benefits of gardening. The generational joy of gardening is shown throughout this story.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice story with a girl and her grandmother (who doesn't die! not always a guarantee!) gardening together. I felt like the feminist content was a stretch but some nice messages about being present and intentional.

[Cara Byrne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A 2025 Imagination Library book for 4 year olds.