Brainstorm 122: Topiary gardens in kids' lit

Topiary doesn’t make its way into kids’ lit very often, but when it does people seem to love it. Why would I say that? Well, of the three picture books below which feature topiary gardens, two received a Caldecott Honor and the third was seriously tossed around as a contender for a Caldecott last year. Evidently the whimsically trimmed plants appeal to our eyes in both print and in real life. I know one of the highlights for me personally when visiting the old royal palace at Ayutthaya here in Thailand are the topiaries on the grounds, like the herd of elephants.

One of my photos of a topiary elephant at Ayutthaya. Hmm, has Lane Smith been to Ayutthaya by any chance???

What's not to like about art that is living? I think I also admire the skill of people who can trim and train plants into such amazing shapes because I know if I tried to do that without any guidance, my bush would like like it got attacked by a vicious animal...not like an animal. If you're one of those people who like living art and can't get to some real topiary at the moment, here’s some recommendations for virtual trips to topiary gardens. (And future picture book artists, if you’ve really got your heart set on a Caldecott, it seems a story involving topiary would be a very strategic plan. 😉) And in case you want to try your own hand at some topiary making, I'm including the last book.

And if you'd like more books on gardens and gardening, check out Brainstorm 35 and Brainstorm 66.

Picture Books

The Night Gardener by the Fan Brothers
In a downtrodden neighborhood a mysterious gardener's actions help brighten the days of many people, including one little orphan boy.

Target Readers:

• Difference Makers: This is short and sweet, but the more I think about it the more I like it. The night gardener forms trees into animal shapes, which seem to help bring the community together. It first off brightens the days of a little orphan boy, and then inspires the little boy to help spread that joy. Reading this with a group of kids could easily segue a great discussion about simple ways to brighten others' days and/or how to improve the community in your neighborhood with gardening or something. 
• Art Fans: The illustrations in this are amazing and you’re 100% justified in picking this up just to look at the pictures.
• Compare/Contrast Activity Fans: Read this and Grandpa Green for a good compare/contrast activity. 

Grandpa Green by Lane Smith
A boy goes through the garden his great-grandfather created, and eventually realizes the topiaries tell the story of his great-grandfather's life.

Target Readers:

• Fans of Grandparent Stories/Family Memory Stories: Due to the time gap between great-grandchildren and their great-grandparents, most connections are forged through family memories passed down. This is such a story. And though most of us don't have grandparents who make topiaries to memorialize important events, they may have other things. Ask kids what objects carry memories and stories in their families, or if you're reading at home perhaps it's a good time to share a family story tied to a certain object or photo.
• Historical Fiction Fans: Through the topiaries, different stories of the past are brought up, taking readers back in time.
• Art Fans: This is one of the books that won a Caldecott Honor for it’s beautiful artwork.

The Garden of Abdul Gasazi by Chris Van Allsburg
Alan takes Miss Hester's dog, Fritz, for a walk, only to have naughty Fritz break away and go into the off-limits garden of magician Abdul Gasazi. Alan is quite concerned what will happen, and he tries to catch Fritz before the magician finds out. But Fritz gets caught and the magician turns him into a duck. Alan starts to carry the bad dog/duck home, when it flies away and snatches his hat. He returns to tell Miss Hester what has happened, only to find Fritz back in dog form. Miss Hester tells Alan it was just a trick of the magician's, but Alan isn't too sure when he finds his hat is at her house too.

Target Readers:

• Mystery Fans/Very Light Creepy Story Fans: Readers get to decide what they think really happened. Did Fritz get turned into a duck for real, or was it just a magician’s trick? Every year around this time we get kids who say they want spooky stories but aren't actually ready for spooky stories. This may be just enough to satisfy them without scarring them. The magician is a little bit frightening as in that-grumpy-neighbor-everyone-avoids-because-they-don’t-want-to-get-scowled-at frightening…as a kid I found the magician slightly creepy, and with the whole possible ability to change you into a duck ability he is a bit intimidating. As an adult I view him more as a grump who just wants kids to stop trespassing and may have a few tricks up his sleeve to fool them into not coming back. But that's up to you to decide.
• Dog Fans: Dog lovers will be quick to understand and forgive Fritz the bull terrier’s trouble-inducing curiosity.
• Van Allsburg Fans: Fun fact for Van Allsburg fans, this was his very first picture book for kids. He now is well-known for a whole plethora of kid’s books, with Polar Express and Jumanji being the most famous.
• Art Fans: This is the other book that was awarded a Caldecott Honor for the art. Full confession time, I read this one for the art because I can take or leave the story. Also, I’d be tempted to explore Abdul Gasazi’s garden too. It looks very enticing.

Nonfiction How-to

DIY Succulents: from Placecards to Wreaths, 35+ Ideas for Creative Projects with Succulents by Tawni Daigle
A step-by-step photographic guide for decorating and art projects with living plants.

Target Readers:

• Indoor Garden Fans: This has lots of relatively easy ideas for bringing plants into the house (or leaving them outside) and using them as decoration.
• Would-be Topiary Artists: Creating a topiary ball is one of the projects in here. Start with the ball and then maybe someday you can move your way on up to topiary moose or rabbit.
• Busy Gardeners/Gardeners with Absolutely No Green in Their Thumbs: The step-by-step guides include instructions on how to care for the living artwork, and good news for those of you with no green thumb or no time for gardening, most of these are very low maintenance (aka hard to kill).