The Invisible Garden

February 15, 2019
How far can a child's imagination go?A lone, bluish car departs from the crowded city, a mishmash of drab colors and almost indecipherable edifices. "Are we nearly there?" asks an unseen passenger, as woodland creatures tower in an encroaching forest. In a clearing stands a red house with an overactive chimney. "Ah, here at last," says the child. It's Grandma's birthday, and a crowd is celebrating inside. The despondent child sits alone among the chattering adults until one of the boisterous giants suggests playing in Grandma's garden. So Arianne goes outside. At first, boredom prevails there as well. But then a little stone draws her attention to some flittering insects. These immense insects (or is Arianne now minuscule?) soar over mountaintops, and Arianne must grab onto a bit of dandelion puff to give chase. Once atop a mountain's peak, Arianne's fun continues. This grand miniadventure requires readers' willingness to follow these whims, and Picard wisely lets her scarce words serve as guideposts for them. Suddenly strolling alongside dinosaurs and capturing stars seem plausible. Ferrer's unusually whimsical interpretation of an old trope (the child in nature) merits the imaginations of its readers. Each full-page picture offers a singular perspective created with vibrant watercolor and bold pen strokes. Arianne and the adults, meanwhile, range in skin color from ghostly white to deeply pink.A playful marvel. (Picture book. 3-5)

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 24, 2019

PreS-Gr 2-A young girl named Arianne and her family travel from the city to the country to celebrate her grandmother's birthday. After the long journey, Arianne ventures outside to explore her grandmother's garden. The child at first is bored and unsure of what to do. As she reclines in the soft garden bed, she soon notices a pebble, and then a grasshopper. Before she knows it, she is flying away on a dandelion seed among the grasshoppers and butterflies over the mountains and far away. Within this new secret garden, Arianne swims with a school of fish, races with locusts, rides dinosaurs, and even reaches up to touch the stars. Whether Arianne's adventures are a dream or a reality seems to matter less and less as the story unfolds. Along the way, she discovers the freedom of her imagination and all of the places it can take her. Picard's hand lettered text is minimal, which allows Ferrer's whimsical and inspired illustrations to tell the story. VERDICT This visually stunning book is sure to spark the imaginations of readers, especially those with an aversion to peace and quiet. -Elizabeth Blake, Brooklyn Public Library

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.