July is a busy month for book awards. One near and dear to us is the Growing Good Kids Award for Excellence in Children’s Literature, sponsored by Junior Master Gardener (JMG) and the American Horticultural Society. JMG develops and publishes resources and curriculum guides to bring children and gardening together in a research-based effort to increase both healthy eating and conservation awareness.
Five kids’ books won acclaim with this year’s Growing Good Kids awards, and three of them were published by our clients! Congratulations to Barefoot Books, publisher of Rooftop Garden, by Danna Smith and illustrated by Pati Aguilera; to Pajama Press, publisher of Sun in My Tummy, by Laura Alary and illustrated by Andrea Blinick; and to Lantana, publisher of Maybe You Might, by Imogen Foxell and illustrated by Anna Cunha.
Let’s take a peek inside each of our winners.
Rooftop Garden features an urban setting and a community of gardeners who cultivate vegetables and herbs. This picture book for ages three to seven offers an original song—sung by Holly Turton—as well as rhythmic text and gloriously colorful and detailed art. If you want to sign along, it even includes a score to the music.
Sun in My Tummy takes readers through a breakfast time investigation of how the food we eat grows from seeds, sunshine, water, and air to give us energy for the new day. For ages four to seven, this picture book offers accessible information about photosynthesis as well as sun-drenched art and a conversational text.
Maybe You Might, for ages four to eight, brings a different approach to growing gardening awareness. In this picture book, the palette is darker and the journey from planting a seed to watching it fulfill its potential parallels a journey of hope. Here the setting reflects the illustrator’s familiarity with Brazil’s natural world.
What a perfect collection to take on your trip to the garden for story time! Thank you JMG and the American Horticultural Society for recognizing the excellence of these books.