Tiny green thumbs - Softcover

C. Z Guest

3.7

23 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0439278929 ISBN 13: 9780439278928

Publisher: Scholastic Inc, 2001

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From Kirkus Reviews:

Guest debuts in children's books with a story of intergenerational love, focusing on the gardening efforts of two small animals. With the expert guidance of Ganny Bun, Tiny Bun and his friend, Little Mouse, learn how to create, care for, and grow a garden. Under Ganny's tutelage, the duo learn of the six elements necessary for a garden: soil, seed, water, sun, time, and love. Together the novice gardeners prepare the soil, select and plant a plethora of seeds, and water the seedlings. When Tiny Bun, balking at the seemingly endless wait for results, asks Ganny Bun what he should do until the plants are ready, she shows him how he can turn his ordinary thumbs into tiny green thumbs. After doing all the weeding and caring for the plants, Tiny Bun discovers that his little thumbs are indeed green (and brown too, from all the weeds and dirt) and a bountiful vegetable garden awaits him for harvesting. Guest imbues the tale with genuine passion for the art of gardening and all things leafy and green. Krupinski's lush illustrations, meticulously detailed and overflowing with an abundance of flora, depict the verdant beauty of a summer garden in all its glory. Interspersed throughout the text are simple, child-friendly directions for engaging in the pleasures of gardening. (Picture book. 4-7) -- Copyright �2000, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

From Publishers Weekly:

In this how-to book in the guise of a story, Ganny Bun tutors her grandson, Tiny Bun, on the "six things you need to grow a garden." Brief horticultural discussions between them serve as prefaces to Guest's (a nationally syndicated gardening columnist and magazine publisher) easy-to-follow instructions. The half dozen essentials, explained in accessible terms, are: preparing the soil; planting the seeds (e.g., place cucumber seeds in four mounds, "at least two feet from one another and about the size of home plate on a baseball field"); watering the seeds; sunshine; time (during which aspiring gardeners can cultivate the garden by weeding, etc.); and lastly, love. "If you [care for your garden] right, by the end of July, you'll be able to play hide-and-seek among the cornstalks," conclude the instructions. The final page makes the rewards crystal clear: the gardeners, as well as a beaver that hides on each spread, enjoy a vegetarian feast. Krupinski's (Where Is That Cat?) elegant gouache and color pencil drawings pulse with the details of blossoms opening and leaves unfurling. Though the characters seem static in a few of the larger illustrations, the smaller vignettes are charming and provide lively punctuation for the gardening guidelines. Ages 4-7. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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