The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

de Anda, Diane

The Patchwork Garden / Pedacitos de huerto

32 pp. | Piñata | May, 2013 | Trade ISBN 978-1-55885-763-6 $16.95

(4) K-3 Translated by Gabriela Baeza Ventura. Illustrated by Oksana Kemarskaya. Inspired by her abuela's stories, Toña plants an urban vegetable garden in a small patch of earth. When others become interested in the project, she helps them transform all of the neighborhood's dirt patches into gardens. The story's appeal comes less from the stilted Spanish and English prose than from the high-interest premise. Kemarskaya's cheery art, though sloppy-looking, features vibrant characters.

Reviewer: Siena Leslie