Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
I Heard it from Alice Zucchini: Poems about the Garden
Illustrator: Christine Davenier
Poetry Picture Book
For ages 8 to 12
Chronicle, 2006 ISBN: 978-0811839624
It is winter and the little seeds in their packets talk about the new life that awaits them when spring comes. In just a few months they will be planted and will grow into little seedlings which will battle with the weeds, celebrate in the sun, get washed by the rain, and join in in the garden gossip. They will grow into beans, peas, zucchini, carrots, parsley, and other plants and vegetables.
In the company of a little garden fairy person and her two mouse companions we get to enjoy the highlights of a garden year from the day when the seeds are planted to the day when snow covers the ground. We explore the garden?s moods, its characters, and the ways in which it changes as the seasons turn. We meet the scarecrow, "a monster in the garden" which scares the "veggies" until they realize what the scarecrow really is. We hear about what happened to Cinderella's famous pumpkin after it took its famous passenger to the ball. And, we come to appreciate how alive the garden is animal and its plant inhabitants.
Poems of many forms that are whimsical little tales, portraits of garden personalities, and lyrical descriptions are coupled with delightful watercolor and ink illustrations to make this a winning title to enjoy throughout the year.
