Beautifully written by Diane Seufert Tait, Olivia’s Garden fuses factual information about plants and the natural world with a lovable cast comprising humans, plants, insects, and a faerie. Harking back to that magical bygone era of true children’s storybooks, Tait’s creation will stir the boundless imaginations of young readers while inspiring them to get out and embrace the natural world around them. Okay…over to Grandmother Sage and her wisdom!
Synopsis:
In Olivia's Garden, an intuitive gardener meets a bold little faerie during an emergency in the magical garden they both tend. Written in three chapters with an easy-to-read font. Sounds wonderful read aloud by an adult and will be a fun read for an older child.
Characters are human, plant, animal, and faerie. Although all the details about the garden and the animals and plants in it are factual and true to life, the use of plants as actual characters, such as Grandmother Sage and Cally Calendula; Mira the cat; and Olivia, the ever-present faerie, make this a delightful book both fanciful and accurate. It gently teaches children about a garden, herbs, and all the inhabitants of such a place, while engaging their imaginations in the possible interactions of the characters.
There is an exciting crisis near the end with a surprising result that should please every reader. Grandmother Sage has the last word and deftly leaves the door open to the possibility of a sequel.
Characters are human, plant, animal, and faerie. Although all the details about the garden and the animals and plants in it are factual and true to life, the use of plants as actual characters, such as Grandmother Sage and Cally Calendula; Mira the cat; and Olivia, the ever-present faerie, make this a delightful book both fanciful and accurate. It gently teaches children about a garden, herbs, and all the inhabitants of such a place, while engaging their imaginations in the possible interactions of the characters.
There is an exciting crisis near the end with a surprising result that should please every reader. Grandmother Sage has the last word and deftly leaves the door open to the possibility of a sequel.
“The whole goal of the book is to make children sit up and realize that the natural world contains limitless opportunities for exploration, empowerment, and discovery,” explains the author, a self-confessed passionate gardener keen on helping today’s young generation find their own green fingers. “To that end, the story and stunning illustrations are complemented by an expansive glossary that reprints and names the individual herbs throughout the book, with child-friendly information and the page number where they can find it within the story.”
Continuing, “I hope the book makes its way into homes and schools across the country, so children will be encouraged to get their fingers dirty and explore everything from their own backyards to city parks and beyond.”
But of course, to grab the often short attention of young readers, Tait knew her characters had to be more than unconventional.
“I decided to do something extremely rare; to have the story play out through the lives of plant characters so children can learn how they interact with each other and the natural world around them. I also hope I can prove to children, once and for all, that faeries do exist…at least in our imaginations, anyway!”
About the Author:
Diane Seufert Tait enjoyed a 40-year career as a classical violinist, most recently as assistant concertmaster of the Canadian Opera Company orchestra. Diane became a Registered Herbalist with the Ontario Herbalists Association in 1997. In 2012 she published her first book, Letters from Italy,still available as an ebook at Amazon, or in paperback from the author at dianeseuf@rogers.com or www.greenwoodpress.ca.
This book is available in soft cover and a Kindle edition you can purchase here.
Note: This review is via a press release and book was provided gratis.
