My Delicious Garden

Representations of nature in literature have had a long history and been part of literary movements such as Romanticism which expressed reverence for the beauty of nature as well as its inspirational and spiritual qualities. These representations include explorations of the actual physical environments or embodiments of nature, the interactions and relationships of people with nature, and specific items that connote or relate to certain qualities of nature. The garden is one such environment that has appeared in literature as a peaceful and timeless space, a refuge, a backdrop for pivotal events in the plot, or, as in fantasy works, a means to access other worlds and realities. In relation to this, the act of gardening has been depicted as a restorative and regenerative activity that can instill hope and optimism. For example, the well-known children’s classic Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden portrays the garden as a catalyst for growth, healing, and redemption among the characters. Initially bitter and lonely as a result of her parents’ untimely deaths, orphaned Mary Lennox matures and grows due to the secret garden that she discovers. Another character, Colin Craven, learns to walk again in the garden, and it is in the same place where he and his father reunite. As such, the garden also functions as a nourishing environment for the building of friendships and rejuvenation of familial relationships.

Illustrated by Julien Castanié, Anne-Marie Fortin’s picture book My Delicious Garden evokes similar sentiments in its representation of the garden but reframes it for the contemporary context. Written for a younger audience, the book is about a young Asian girl and her family who work on their garden throughout the year and reap the rewards of their harvest. In doing so, Fortin conveys a positive message about gardening that also touches on the topics of food, family, and community.

The book’s structure is a straightforward narrative that is appropriate for its young readers. They will have no trouble following along with what is happening, even if they are unfamiliar with the different types of vegetables and gardening tasks that are mentioned. The book’s being told from the first-person perspective of the young girl will help to draw readers into the story because they are hearing her thoughts. One striking aspect about this book is the excitement and joy of gardening that it conveys. After finishing the book, readers may well feel inspired to do some gardening of their own. Structured chronologically from January to December, the book depicts the growing season in its entirety from its planning stages to its harvest. Readers will learn about planting small seeds early in the year, transferring them once they become seedlings, placing them into the garden, caring for the crops throughout the summer, and finally harvesting them in the fall for eating and preserving. The book will also familiarize readers with the different months of the year as well as the names of various vegetables. For younger readers in particular, parents and teachers can assist by explaining what the different vegetables are to them, if needed.

Julien Castanié’s colourful illustrations complement the book effectively and will appeal to readers. Throughout the narrative, Castanié’s illustrations highlight the act of gardening itself as well as the young girl and her parents. In doing so, they convey the hard work involved in gardening but also a sense of fulfillment and pleasure that arises from it. For example, the two-page spread for the month of April describes the process of transferring seedlings to larger containers so that their roots can grow. The accompanying illustration provides a close-up of the young girl’s hands patting the soil to secure the seedling in a new pot. For June, Castanié shows the girl completing various tasks for the garden, such as watering and weeding. Another illustration shows the girl having fun outside with a harvested pumpkin that has been carved for a Halloween costume party.

Another interesting aspect is the book’s representation of family dynamics that are accentuated by Castanié’s illustrations. The young girl is part of an interracial lesbian family, with one Asian and one Black parent. Although this dynamic is not the book’s focus, this is a good example of how literary works can represent diverse families in a positive fashion without becoming didactic. It is unclear whether the girl is adopted or is the biological daughter of the Asian mother, but this is not a crucial detail. Instead, more important is that the girl’s relationship with her two mothers is normalized precisely as the book does not draw attention to it. Instead, this family is simply accepted as a part of the narrative.

This representation of the girl’s family dovetails with the book’s thematic explorations around food, family, and community. Gardening brings her family together as they are working for a common purpose. For example, the two-page spread for the month of May shows the young girl planting while her two mothers are spreading compost and tilling soil. Similarly, the book ends with a Christmas feast that includes the vegetables that they have grown over the past year. In the accompanying illustration, the young girl sits at a table filled with food, surrounded by her two mothers and guests, while the window behind her reveals that it is snowing outside. This final image conveys a communal atmosphere amidst the warmth of the girl’s home.

Since this book will appeal to a variety of readers, it will be a good addition for any library’s picture book collection. It is also ideal for reading aloud because of its accessible language and illustrations. As an educational tool, parents, teachers, and librarians can make this book interactive by pointing to the illustrations while they read and asking children to identify the different vegetables, wildlife, and gardening tools. For older readers, this book could also be a means for teachers to discuss topics such as the significance of food, cultural communities, and different types of family structures that exist.

My Delicious Garden is Anne-Marie Fortin’s first picture book. Based in Montreal, she works as the Deputy General Manager of Communication-Jeunesse and specializes in reading mediation techniques for young readers. Julien Castanié is a Montreal-based illustrator who has received recognition for his work. He was a French-language finalist for the 2019 TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award as well as a finalist of the Prix Roberval jeunesse 2019 and Prix des libraires du Québec 2019. More information about his work is available at https://juliencastanie.com.

My Delicious Garden is published by Owlkid Books, a company that produces many engaging and educational books for kids as well as the long-running Owl and Chickadee magazines. Information about their other publications is available at https://www.owlkids.com.