Grandpa's Garden

Teya Rosenberg is an assistant professor of English specializing in
children’s literature at Southwest Texas State University.

Young Simone loves being with her grandfather in his huge garden in
Trinidad. Weeding and watering the vegetables, admiring the many fruits
and creatures of the garden, and swimming in the river are all
activities that they enjoy together. However, her grandfather’s
growing blindness soon discourages him from going out into the garden.
Once Simone understands the reason for his reluctance, she persuades him
to join her once more in the garden to enjoy its sounds, smells, and
tastes.

The story of Simone and her grandfather is skilfully told. It creates
suspense as Simone notices her grandfather not seeing the spade in front
of him, missing weeds, not noticing the fish in the river, and it
successfully captures Simone’s bewilderment when her grandfather will
not leave the house. Her ability to persuade her grandfather to join her
shows a development from the beginning of the story when she cannot
understand his failings.

Ageda’s illustrations, printed in alternating color and
black-and-white double-page spreads, skilfully portray both people and
nature. Her clear and bright watercolors support well the seeming
simplicity of a story that deals with a complex topic: a child’s
realization of the mortality and fears of the adults in her life and of
her ability to nurture them as they have nurtured her. Recommended.