Maya, her dog Pip, and Dad are hardly coping
without mum.
The place is a mess. So is Dad. They all do their best but they
hadn’t realized how many things mum did for them every day.
Dad is a good storyteller but he hasn’t been
telling Maya much about mum. During one of their quiet times, Dad shares with
Maya secrets about mum’s garden, how she loved to plant things, nurture them,
and keep them full of life.
But the garden has been swallowed by weeds. It is
now nothing but a tangled mess.
Maya decides to change things. Slowly but surely
she cuts away tangles, pulls out the weeds and fills the compost. She finds
some packets of seeds of sunflowers - mum’s favourite. In the newly cleared
earth, Maya sows the seeds and hopes. When she thinks of the garden she feels
better.
Joy comes to Maya with the first green shoots. They
are beauty and calm, and new beginnings. As the garden is transformed, so are
the people. Other living things make their way there. Animals, insects and
birds flock to and fill the area with life and activity. Everything is renewed.
Soft pastels and earthy greens and browns fill the
full colour pages. Strong images in the illustrations depict the chaos and calm
of Maya, Pip and Dad’s life before and after mum.
Themes of loss and grief, acceptance and renewal,
courage and determination, weave through this gentle and moving story that
accents the importance of change and moving forward.
Title:
The Garden of Hope
Author:
Isabel Otter
Illustrator:
Katie Rewse
Publisher:
Hardie Grant, $24.99
Publication
Date: August 2018
Format:
Hardcover
ISBN:
9781848577138
For
ages: 5+
Type:
Picture Book