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A little determination goes a long way in this inspiring story about creating green spaces and building community.
Rosie loves nothing more than to dig and spend time with people from her neighbourhood in the community garden. There’s Mr. Dellagatti who collects seeds, Annika who plays the violin, and even Esmeralda the chicken who likes worms for breakfast!
But when the garden is sold to the Big Boss of a city company, Rosie looks on helplessly as it is destroyed and replaced by a towering skyscraper. Where will her friends from the garden go now? And what will happen to Esmeralda now that her home is gone?
It’s going to take some unexpected teamwork and a whole lot of bravery, but maybe Rosie can find a solution that makes everyone happy.
Rosie’s Garden is an inspiring story about preserving nature and standing up for the things that are important to us. Through simple prose and beautiful illustrations, it explores themes of environmentalism, urbanization and community in a way that will engage younger readers and get them thinking about the world around them, and the role we can all play in protecting it. Essential reading for any little ones interested in nature, buildings, the outdoors – and digging!
“Casual rhymes add to the smooth and simple prose. A subdued palette lets Rosie’s red hair shine, [the illustrator] presents some unusual perspectives, and fun details are interspersed throughout the attractive backgrounds.” - Kirkus
"The illustrations bring each scene to life with bright colors, clear emotions, and little details. This works well with the shorter text, which is age appropriate and short enough to make a nice read-aloud even for the younger end of the age group." - Bookworm for Kids
“This is a beautiful and inspiring story about preserving natural spaces and working together as a community to achieve a sustainable future.” - Just Kids’ Lit
Olivia Coates is an early childhood professional who is passionate about the role of the natural environment in education and care for young children. Since the beginning of her teaching career in 2005, Olivia has secured numerous garden grants for local kindergartens and schools, and worked closely with organisations who provide supported employment for people with a disability. The projects targeted better access, inclusion and connection.
She adores visiting these gardens now and seeing children immersed in play amongst nature, growing and harvesting vegetables, feeding chickens and collecting eggs, learning the names and traditional uses of plants. The sense of community that grows from these experiences – that’s the magic. It shows that investing a little bit of time really can have a lasting impact.
Rosie’s Garden is Olivia’s second picture book, following her debut Shadow Wall (Ethicool Books, 2023).
Olivia lives in Allestree, Australia, on a dairy farm with her husband, two children, two dogs, a cat, lots of chickens, a family of huntsmans, and two very naughty goats named Hansel and Gretel.
Samantha McLelland is a freelance illustrator and former school art teacher. When she is not drawing, Samantha enjoys pottery, spin class, cooking, reading, and exploring the beautiful New England outdoors.
Samantha lives in Lexington, Massachusetts with her husband and two children.