CONTENT:
The Curious Garden (2009) was written and illustrated by Peter Brown. It tells the story of a boy named Liam who lives in a city made of bricks and big buildings, in which there are no green areas. One day he ventures in the abandoned city railway, where he finds some plants in need of care. The boy doesn’t know what to do, so he decides to learn how to take care of them. Gradually he becomes a gardener, and his garden grows more and more, with many colourful plants. The winter passes, the spring returns and Liam continues taking care of the garden becoming an expert gardener. As time goes by more people start to help him and the small garden expands until it reaches all the buildings and the streets in the city. Gradually the city changes and becomes a garden.
WHY USING THIS PICTUREBOOK:
This picturebook fosters the reflection on the contribution everyone can give to change the world in which we live. It can be used with children in order to reflect on the importance of green areas in cities. In the illustrations the predominant colours change conveying different moods and feelings in relation to what is happening in the story. Cold and dark colours, such as grey or sepia, represent the industrialized city, and bright and warm bright colours, such as green and light blue, represent the garden and the rebirth of nature. The comprehension of new expressions in the written text is scaffolded by the illustrations which represent key concepts and at the same time they give the opportunity to understand even the most complex terms. There are also two wordless double spread pages which allow the storyteller to promote reflection and discussion with the children beyond the written text of the picturebook. The amazing illustrations represent beautiful natural environments and allow children to experience the sense of wonder.
