Book picks similar to
The Secret Garden by Claire Freedman
picture-books
plants
spring
feelings
The House Book
Susan Greenwood - 2018
The house remains in the ownership of one family for three and a half centuries, each generation faithfully recording details of their household in The House Book. Eventually, the family line dies out. 1985 Oakwood Grange has new owners. Janie Whittaker feels an unaccountable attachment to the old place from the very first visit and, inspired by The House Book, decides it’s time she traced the estranged branch of her own family. But it’s Janie’s discovery of Alice’s diary in amongst some old papers which provides a more interesting link between past and present and soon she’s absorbed in Alice’s world. Meanwhile, Janie can’t help noticing one or two strange little occurrences in the house - even their foundling cat seems a bit odd - but none of this really fazes her. It’s true the witches’ marks over the fireplace are a bit unsettling, but then belief in witches was commonplace in the seventeenth century and now, surely, everyone knows... ...there’s no such thing as witchcraft? A perfect book club read for fans of Kate Morton, Rachel Hore and Katherine Webb
Brimsby's Hats
Andrew Prahin - 2013
Now Brimsby is a lonely hat maker, unsure of what to do. But since making hats is what he does best, perhaps his talents can help him find some friends…Filled with whimsy and wonder, Brimsby’s Hats is a celebration of creativity and friendship.
Journey's Eve
Elizabeth Cadell - 1953
It looked like a very nice announcement. The engagement is announced between Sir Paul Saxon, Bt., elder son of the late Sir Bartholomew Saxon, Bt. and of Lady Saxon, of 16 Lowndes Crescent, S. W. I. and Helga, only daughter of Madame de Brulais, of 89 Selcourt St. S. W. 3 There was only one thing wrong with it. He had never in his life heard of Madam de Brulais or her daughter, Helga. Indeed, it was a situation which opened up endless vistas of surprises and complications.
The House that Jack Built
J.P. Miller - 1954
Best of all, it’s fun to read aloud!
My Spring Robin
Anne Rockwell - 1989
She sees a bee, a yellow forsythia bush, and a tiny toad, but no robin. Then she hears a cheerful song, and she knows the robin is back. Bold, simple paintings complement the briefly told story. Full color.
Martha doesn't say sorry!
Samantha Berger - 2009
But when this sweet but stubborn otter learns that niceties like cookies, piggyback rides, and hugs are for people who apologize, our mischievous heroine learns the ultimately rewarding feeling that comes with saying she's sorry.Parents and kids alike will embrace the hilarious watercolor illustrations and the irreverent humor throughout in this pitch-perfect picture book that offers the gentlest of lessons.
Poetree
Shauna LaVoy Reynolds - 2019
She ties her poem to a birch tree, hoping that it doesn't count as littering if it makes the world more beautiful. But when she returns, a new poem is waiting for her. Could the tree really be writing back? Sylvia decides to test her theory, and so begins a heartwarming poetic correspondence...as well as an unexpected new friendship.Lyrical and sweetly satisfying, Poetree is about finding beauty in the world around you, and new friends in unlikely places.
Pop the Bubble!
Mary Eakin - 2016
Children will love creating a bubble, playing with it and of course they’ll want to pop the bubble! Encouraging imagination with exciting interactive elements will make this a wonderful read-aloud experience.
Emily's Blue Period
Cathleen Daly - 2014
She likes painting and loves the way artists like Pablo Picasso mixed things up.Emily's life is a little mixed up right now. Her dad doesn't live at home anymore, and it feels like everything around her is changing.“When Picasso was sad for a while,” says Emily, “he only painted in blue. And now I am in my blue period.”It might last quite some time.A Neal Porter Book
Two Little Gardeners
Margaret Wise Brown - 1951
Children will enjoy this story of a young brother and sister who plant seeds that will result, after much hard work and patience, in a bountiful garden! It teaches that good things come to those who wait, and features a little song at the end of the book, either "What We Plant in the Spring We Eat in the Fall" or "Full as a Fiddle" depending on edition.
The Full House and the Empty House
LK James - 2019
Even though the houses are different on the inside, it doesn't reflect how they feel on the outside. The bathroom of the full house was full of many bathroom-y things. There was a big bathtub with gold clawed feet, a sink shaped like a seashell, a hairbrush and comb made of bone,and cakes of lilac soap. In the bathroom of the empty house was just a toilet and a sink. In the evening when the two houses grew tired of dancing, they would rest on the hillside and look out at the world together.
The Legend of the Villa Della Luna
Jana Fayne Kolpen - 1997
While a guest at a magnificent Italian seaside villa, Mlle. J. reaches out to a grieving man who has isolated himself inside a lighthouse after a tragic love affair. 200+ color & sepia-toned photos. Original watercolors, gatefold, envelope with letter & train ticket. 12 recipes.
We're Going on a Bar Hunt
Josie Lloyd - 2013
In this parody of the famous children's book We're Going on a Bear Hunt, two parents set off for a night on the tiles, and encounter a series of watering holes and bars before an alarming encounter with a 'bear' sends them running home to their children.Gillian Johnson is the author and illustrator of the successful Monster Hospital and Thora series for children. Her illustrations bring this story to life, gently parodying the original but adding an anarchic edge as the evening progresses.We're not going on a bar hunt again!
Paddington and the Grand Tour
Michael Bond - 2003
How can he know that the tourists will think he’s their tour guide? And how is he to guess that they will follow him everywhere?
Just Like Heaven
Patrick McDonnell - 2006
'Wow,' he remarks as he explores. 'What a great place.' But when Mooch comes face-to-face in heaven with a big and scary dog, what, he wonders, is he supposed to do? Mooch's reassuring answer reveals that the joys of nature, home and friends are blessings to appreciate here and now. Heaven really is a place on earth!