From School Library Journal
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PreS-Gr 1—Inspired by a single glorious flower, a Tom Thumb-like gardener toils himself into exhaustion in
his attempts to tame enormous weeds and clear the litter from his property. When he finally s in his cozy straw
cottage, a regular-size girl is motivated by the same bloom, then takes over the task. When the title character wakes,
he and his helper relish the resulting bursts of flora, especially the they first admired. Hughes uses minimal
text and a dark palette to great effect. The lush wilderness, likely inspired by her Hawaiian background, luckily
remains even in the completed garden. VERDICT A gentle fairy tale, the story encourages tenacity and speaks to the value
of teamwork and environmental stewardship.—Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA
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Review
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"Inspired by a single glorious flower, a Tom Thumb-like gardener toils himself into exhaustion in his
attempts to tame enormous weeds and clear the litter from his property. When he finally s in his cozy straw
cottage, a regular-size girl is motivated by the same bloom, then takes over the task. When the title character wakes,
he and his helper relish the resulting bursts of flora, especially the they first admired. Hughes uses minimal
text and a dark palette to great effect. The lush wilderness, likely inspired by her Hawaiian background, luckily
remains even in the completed garden. VERDICT A gentle fairy tale, the story encourages tenacity and speaks to the value
of teamwork and environmental stewardship." —School Library Journal
Emily Hughes' spare prose allows her gorgeous artwork to tell the story of the gardener and the single flower that
brings him inspiration and hope. Layered with meaning, this is a book worth lingering over and cherishing.
—NPR, Best Books 2015
Through economical text and luscious illustrations, Hughes captures the daunting challenge (and sometimes despair) of
environmental stewardship. However, she ends her story on a hopeful note as the Little Gardener's seemingly futile
efforts inspire others to take up the cause.
—Huffington Post, Best Picture Books of 2015
It’s a tender metaphor for the miracle of gardening. Hughes’s rich, rhythmic storytelling voice and dark tapestry
spreads carry perennial magic.
—Publisher’s Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
Through economical text and luscious illustrations, Hughes captures the daunting challenge (and sometimes despair) of
environmental stewardship. However, she ends her story on a hopeful note as the Little Gardener's seemingly futile
efforts inspire others to take up the cause.
—Huffington Post
A lovely visual tribute to the persistent hard work behind every flourishing garden.
—Kirkus Reviews
What Hughes does with these colored-pencil illustrations is impressive. Brimming with details and earthy vibrance, they
are more than up to the task of carrying the story visually. The garden setting also lends itself to some "seek and
find" moments, when young readers will be looking closely to spot the gardener among the flora. It’s a little story
about some pretty big emotions: persistence, dedication, and love. It’s also a book that might make you cry happy tears
during story time. A beauty.
� Notes, Best New Book
[...] charming, immeasurably sweet [...] Hughes’s illustrations, vibrant and deeply alive, capture that strange tapestry
of tenderness and wilderness of which the human soul is woven. [...] a heartwarming delight in its entirety [...]
� Notes, Best New Book
The Little Gardener by Emily Hughes is a miracle of a picture book. Its stunning lush, rough, almost jagged,
illustrations paired with a simple, striking narrative holds an incredible power to focus its readers onto this single
story and let the rest of the world fade away.
—The Picture Book Review
The Little Gardner is different from Wild on the surface, but it still shows the affinity children have with nature and
wild things. […] This story subtly validates the experience of failure while keeping a sense of hope blooming. I’m very
impressed at how Hughes addresses the deep feelings of insecurity children have. In The Little Gardner, she shows how
the efforts little ones make, even if they don’t entirely succeed, inspire those bigger than they are. In The Little
Gardner, she shows how befriending nature and tending to a garden keeps hope in your heart.
—Joy Corcoran
The images are evocative and gorgeous, reminding me of Maurice Sendak in terms of shapes and color choices. Wild and
moving that will enthrall readers young and old as they explore the garden of the littlest gardener and see what he
created in this world around him.
—Andrew Shuping, Musing Librarian Reviews
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