Written by Phyllis Root and Gary D. Schmidt, Illustrated by Melissa Sweet
Celia Planted a Garden is a lyrical and beautifully illustrated book about writer and painter Celia Thaxter and her life of flowers. Handwritten sidebars contain quotes from her writing, which highlights this book. There is an extensive backmatter which includes more biographical information, a detailed timeline, and a bibliography. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, John Greenleaf Whittier, and Nathaniel Hawthorne, among others, stayed at her family’s hotel on Appledore Island. One can imagine the conversations she shared with them. Reading this book will bring its reader to another time period with similar settings as in the books Anne of Green Gables and Miss Rumphius.
Reviewed by Kristen Hunt, Librarian, Whittier Elementary School
Review shared in March 2023
Rating: ★★★★★ (5 stars)
Interest Level: Grades 2-6
Celia Planted a Garden
Written by Phyllis Root and Gary D. Schmidt, Illustrated by Melissa Sweet
Candlewick Press
40 pages
Release Date: May 17, 2022
ISBN: 9781536204292
A review copy was provided by the publisher.
