Celia Planted a Garden: The Story of Celia Thaxter and Her Island Garden (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781536204292)

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, in a 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.

Author: Phyllis Root, Gary D. Schmidt
ISBN-10: 1536204293
ISBN-13: 9781536204292
Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
Language: English
Published: 05/17/2022
Pages: 40
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 0.93lbs
Size: 8.60h x 11.48w x 0.40d

Review Citation(s):
Booklist 03/01/2022 pg. 40
Kirkus Reviews 03/15/2022
Publishers Weekly 03/28/2022
Horn Book Magazine 05/01/2022 pg. 167
School Library Journal 06/01/2022 pg. 88
BookPage 05/01/2022
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2022 - Superior,Well Above Average