Sunflower Houses: Inspiration From the Garden - A Book for Children and Their Grown-ups.
- Book Review,
by Sharon Lovejoy
Copley News Service
I have to put Sharon Lovejoy's 'Sunflower Houses.. in a category by itself.
American Library Book Review
It lit up my life and, indeed, may go on doing so for years to come. Enchanting!
“Book Reviews” by Dr. Frances B. Shuler, Science Activities
Lovejoy's award-winning Sunflower Houses... ranks as one of the finest examples of gardening literature.
Shane Smith, Director, Cheyenne Botanic Gardens
Garden books become repetitive variations of the same themes. But, once in a while, a book comes out that is delightfully different.
Washington Times
"Even the youngest gardeners get a thrill from watching a plant grow - particularly a plant they nurtured."
Book Description
A magical book of adventures and appreciations written and illustrated by the author of Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots this award-winning title was published by a small press in Colorado in 1991. The reviews say it all: A fetching primer on gardening for children. . . . Irresistible (The Smithsonian). What child, or indeed adult, would not be delighted? Lovejoy's recollections are wonderful, as are the illustrations (Victoria).
Celebrating the lore of the garden and the joy of interacting with nature, Sunflower Houses is a unique garden lover's miscellany, a collection of memories, poems, activities, garden plans, crafts, botanical riddles, stories, games, and planting projects. There are inspirations for a Floral Clock Garden, A Child's Own Rainbow, Faerie Tea Parties, and, of course, the Sunflower House. Plus, from garden lovers, stories of favorite flowers. Throughout are the artist's warm and appealing watercolors of a life in gardening remembered.
From the Back Cover
"A fetching primer on gardening for children, chockablock with botanical lore...Green-thumbed adults will also find this an irresistible excursion into old-fashioned garden history." (The Smithsonian) "[Sunflower Houses] lit up my life and, indeed, may go on doing so for years to come. Enchanting!" (American Library Book Review) Celebrate the lore of the garden and the joys of interacting with nature. Filled with cozy recollections and garden poems, a plant abecedarium and the charm of pansies, how to grow a zucchini "fish" in a bottle and why every garden needs a swing, this unique miscellany insures that the memorable outdoor experiences of childhood will be passed on from one generation to the next. Illustrating the book throughout are the author's warm and appealing watercolors of a life in gardening remembered.
About the Author
Sharon Lovejoy is the author and illustrator of Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots: Gardening Together with Children. She is also a contributing editor to Country Living Gardener magazine. An award-winning writer and naturalist, Ms. Lovejoy has helped design learning landscapes for young people throughout the United States, including the children's garden at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens and Salt Lake City's Red Butte Botanical Gardens. She is a member of the National Children's and youth Garden Advisory Panel for the American Horticultural Society. INSIDE FLAP: Remember making clover chains, hollyhock dolls, and firefly lanterns? Or hosting a faerie tea party? Remember checking the clock when the Four O'Clocks bloomed? These simple pleasures, and hundreds more, are gathered here in a magical book of inspiration from the garden.
Excerpted from Sunflower Houses : Inspiration from the Garden - A Book for Children and Their Grown-Ups by Sharon Lovejoy. Copyright © 2001. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved
In 1991, when this book was released, I never anticipated that it would be received so lovingly. Like windborne seeds, the ideas from its pages traveled throughout the world, germinated, rooted deeply, and flourished. Now, in this new edition, the spirit lives and the floral traditions and garden play of our ancestors will reach new generations of readers and nature lovers. I first thought of this as a collection just for children, but the letters soon proved me wrong. An 80-year-old-gardener from Kentucky wrote, "If it is indeed true that it is never too late to be a child at heart, this will be my best spring ever. I am going to plant my first suflower house." Letters came from kids as young as three to grown-ups 96 years young. Educators, camp counselors, church groups, horticultural therapists, and 4-H Leaders shared the joy of newfound or rediscovered gardening pleasures. I want to thank the thousands of readers who wrote such inspiring letters. I always expected the tide of correspondence to stop, but with the publication of my newest book, "Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots," the letters and requests for copies of Sunflower Houses increased. Because of your interest, "Sunflower House" is being reprinted for the tenth time with its new family at Workman Publishing. My book appeared at a time when people realized that many of our kids are estranged from nature. A movement begin in the early 1990's to design and plant community, botanical, and schoolyard gardens specifically for children-our most precious and valuable resource. Whatever your age, welcome to the pages of "Sunflower Houses." May you always remember that the most joyous and important experiences in life are not to be bought, but grown and nurtured in our homes and gardens. I wish you many garden pleasures and magical memories, Sharon Lovejoy
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