Storybook Gardens

Growing StoryBook Theme Garden ideas
Do you have an idea of how to connect a children’s garden with a favorite children’s book? We want your creative ideas or first hand experiences to sow seeds of inspiration for literature-themed or “StoryBook Gardens” for young gardeners around the country.

Submit your thoughts by clicking on a link below and we might be able to add it to a growing list of ideas of using good books to help kids connect to gardening and the natural world.

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Miss Rumphius

Barbara Cooney

Plants:

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Planting a Rainbow

Lois Ehlert

Plants: Morning Glory, Zinnia, Marigold, Daisy

A garden could connect to this story because there are plenty of plants listed in the book, it reviews the four seasons, vocabulary and most importantly, pictures to show examples of the different stages of the flower. Children can definitely benefit from this story because of the visuals and the amount of educational material offered throughout this story.

submitted by Adrienne Danner, Chesapeake, VA

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Growing Vegetable Soup

Lois Ehlert

Plants: tomatoes, potatoes, beans, peas, carrots, onions

The author walks the reader through planting, harvesting, and using a vegetable garden in colorful and entertaining way.

submitted by Sherri McShane, San Antonio, TX

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Camille and the Sunflowers

Laurence Anholt

Plants:

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Tops & Bottoms

Janet Stevens

Plants:

A bear and rabbit room mates share responsibilities but the bear always tries to get out of work. The rabbit outsmarts him with plants that have edible tops and one who have edible bottoms. We read the story, plant, tend and harvest them and sample.

submitted by Nancy Cruz, Chesapeake, VA

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Carrot Seed

Ruth Krauss, Crockett Johnson

Plants:

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The Tale of Peter Rabbit

Beatrix Potter

Plants:

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Mrs. Spitzer’s Garden

Edith Pattou, Mary Beth Owens

Plants:

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Brother Eagle, Sister Sky

Susan Jeffers

Plants: squash, corn, pole beans

The story speaks to the need for people to be in harmony with nature. The three sisters garden used the technique of companion planting. In this garden, all three plants are sowed and grow in such a way that they support each other. Click for more resources to start your Brother Eagle, Sister Sky themed garden. Resource 1 & Resource 2

submitted by Travis McCutcheon in Athens, GA

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The Lorax

Dr. Seuss

Plants:

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Linnea in Monet’s Garden

Christina Bjork, Lena Anderson

Plants:

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Oliver’s Vegetables

Vivian French

Plants:

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Lily’s Garden

Deborah Kogan Ray

Plants:

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Sunflower House

Eve Bunting, Kathryn Hewitt

Plants:

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The Secret Garden

Frances Hodgson Burnett, Mary Collier

Plants:

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The Ugly Vegetables

Grace Lin

Plants:

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Sunflower Sal

Janet S. Anderson, Elizabeth Johns

Plants:

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Two Old Potatoes and Me

John Coy, Carolyn Fisher

Plants:

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How Groundhog’s Garden Grew

Lynne Cherry

Plants:

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Inch by Inch: A Garden Song

David Mallett

Plants:

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Weslandia

Paul Fleischman, Kevin Hawkes

Plants:

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The Gardener

Sarah Stewart, David Small

Plants:

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The Giving Tree

Shel Silverstein

Plants:

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Whose Garden is it?

Mary Ann Hoberman

Plants:

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Clara Caterpillar

Pamela Duncan Edwards

Plants:

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The Tin Forest

Helen Ward, Wayne Anderson

Plants:

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The Lotus Seed

Sherry Garland, Tatusuro Kiuchi

Plants:

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Scarlette Bean

Karen Wallace, Jon Berkley

Plants:

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Empty Pot

Demi

Plants:

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Pumpkins

Mary Lyn Ray, Barry Root

Plants:

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The Tiny Seed

Eric Carle

Plants:

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Plantzilla

Jerdine Nolen, David Catrow

Plants:

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A Place to Grow

Stephanie Bloom, Kelly Murphy

Plants:

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Stone Soup

Jon J. Muth

Plants: whatever is in season, potatoes, onions, carrots, etc.

This is such a wonderful story and promotes sharing and working together. In this story, many contribute a small amount into a pot of soup that simmers into a delicious meal. For the garden, have each student bring a seed or transplant of a favorite plant. Set a day to read the book, discuss the concept of a garden of favorite veggies and plant. Then once time comes to harvest, even if it’s just a few different pieces of produce ready to harvest a given time, use it as a basis for your classes stone soup.

submitted by Shannon Knowles Goldman

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