Celia Planted a Garden: The Story of Celia Thaxter and Her Island Garden

From an all-star team comes a lyrical picture-book biography about a writer and master gardener who created beauty in a harsh island habitat that was visited by literary and artistic luminaries of her time.
Celia Thaxter grew up on a desolate island off the coast of Maine, where her father worked as lighthouse keeper. Amid the white and gray of the sea, the rocks, and even the birds, young Celia found color where she could: green mosses and purple starfish and pink morning glories by the shore. And she planted her first garden, tucking bright marigolds between rocky ledges. When she was twelve, Celia’s family moved to nearby Appledore Island, where her father built a large hotel, and Celia planted a bigger, ever-growing garden with nearly sixty types of flowers, from asters to wisteria.
Guests flocked to the hotel from around the world, among them such writers as Longfellow, Whittier, and Hawthorne. Celia had been writing poems about the island, her garden, and the sea, and they would be printed in magazines and books, making her a foremother of writing about nature. Now, for the first time, Celia Planted a Garden showcases her life and work, ina poetic, vividly imagined picture book from a team of two authors and an illustrator, each recipients of numerous awards. More about Celia Thaxter, including a rich time line and bibliography, awaits readers in the back matter.
From School Library Journal
Gr 2-4-Island life in the northeastern United States can be colorless, as grays and whites cover not only the sky and sea but the animals, as well. Celia Thaxter grew up on just such an island, lamenting the limited color palette that surrounded her even while embracing the beauty and tumult of the sea. In response, Thaxter decided to craft a garden filled with vibrant and colorful flowers of many types to enhance the appearance of the island. And as her life took her to new places, she discovered ways to bring the beauty of her garden to paper through words and paint. This narrative biography introduces readers to a woman who was a renowned poet in her time. Rich paragraphs of text are used to tell her story, and these blocks often use repetition of color alongside specific references to myriad natural creatures. Snippets of Thaxter's poetry are placed alongside several of the images to enhance the text, and these words stand out dramatically from the others in both size and presentation. Paired with the softness of watercolor and pencil lines within each image, the words and illustrations together create a visual tapestry that connects readers to her colorful world. An author's note and time line of Thaxter's life help to round out the overall text and provide additional information for readers to peruse. VERDICT Elementary school-aged readers will enjoy learning about a colorful and creative woman through this work.-Mary R. Lanniα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.