Summer Reading in the Orchard Garden

Take some time to read these beautiful and informative illustrated books about solstice, gardens, and enjoying all the beauty Mother Nature has to offer!

June Reading Spotlight: Summer Solstice by Ellen Jackson Image Source People have always looked up at the sun with wonder and gratitude—so it is no surprise that humans throughout history have chosen to celebrate the summer solstice, the time of year when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky. The Summer Solstice offers some fascinating descriptions of these celebrations. From ancient rituals to modern festivities, people have found many ways to express their thankfulness for the sun’s gift of warmth and light. The Summer Solstice depicts the mysterious rites of the Egyptians, the tales of fairies and selkies, the modern parades and baseball games—all part of the fun and folklore of this happy time. The book includes a Hawaiian myth about the origin of the seasons, and some hands-on activities that allow everyone to participate in the celebration. The summertime mood is enhanced by Jan Davey Ellis’s informative yet appealing illustrations that express the joy and warmth of the season.

Title / About* *All 'About' information is from the book covers or from Scholastic Canada.	Author / Illustrator
The Yoga Game in the Garden The second book in The Yoga Game series wiggles its way to the garden. Hum like a bee! Grow like a tree! Enjoy another delightful yoga practice with more entertaining rhymes, enchanting riddles, and whimsical illustrations. Critters and creatures help plant the fun with The Yoga Game in the Garden.	Kathy Beliveau / Denise Holmes
Secrets of the Vegetable Garden What lives in the vegetable garden? Shine a light behind the page and see… Explore a fruit and vegetable patch up close and find a small world filled with great surprises! From popping pea pods to wriggly worms, the hidden wonders of this busy world will be revealed.	Carron Brown / Giordano Poloni
Flower Garden Bring nature into your classroom with this glorious, picture-book celebration of flowers, growth, and possibility – a fiction offering that makes an innovative and yet seamless connection to seed-planting and science activities.	Eve Bunting / Kathryn Hewitt
Miss Rumphius As a child Greant-aunt Alice Rumphius resolved that when she grew up she would go to faraway places, live by the sea in her old age, and do something to make the world more beautiful – and she does all those things, the last being the most difficult of all.	Barbara Cooney
Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! Three hungry rabbits foil Mr. McGreely’s attempts at growing and eating from a vegetable garden. Children will cheer for the bunnies – or for Mr. McGreely – as they delight in Candace Fleming’s clever sound effects and G. Brian Karas’s vibrant, funny illustrations.	Candace Fleming / G. Brian Karas
In the Tall, Tall Grass If you were a fuzzy caterpillar crawling through the tall, tall grass on a sunny afternoon, what would you see? To find out, just follow the tiny tour guide as he inches his way through the pages of this book. You’ll see ants and bees and birds – hip-hopping bunnies too. You’ll even hear the sounds some of them make!	Denise Fleming
Grandpa’s Garden Grandpa has sprouted trays of potatoes. We bury them and pat the soil around. And then we wait…It’s hard to wait! Complete with fact-filled notes and simple guidelines on planting and caring for your own vegetable patch, Grandpa’s Garden offers you all that you need to pull on your boots and start digging!	Stella Fry / Sheila Moxley
Charlie’s Dirt Day When Charlie and his dad follow a parade of their neighbours through the local park, they discover everyone is walking towards a big pile of dirt! But this isn’t just any pile of dirt – this is compost. Charlie learns from his neighbors about the gardens they have and the delicious vegetables they grow in them.	Andrew Larsen / Jacqueline Hudon-Verrelli
My Forest is Green Join a curious artist as he explores the wonders of his urban forest. Using different artistic mediums like collage, photography, paint and more, the boy creatively depicts the many shapes, textures and colours of his natural surroundings. My Forest is Green is a poetic look at nature and its fascinating details. What’s your forest like?	Darren Lebeuf / Ashley Barron
Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt Up in the garden, the world is full of green leaves and sprouts, growing vegetables, ripening fruit. But down in the dirt there is a busy world of earthworms digging, snakes hunting, skunks burrowing, and all the other animals that make a garden their home. In this exuberant book, discover the wonder and activity that lie hidden between the stalks, under the shade of leaves…and down in the dirt.	Kate Messner / Christopher Silas Neal
Rose’s Garden After traveling the world in her fantastic teapot, Rose is ready to put down roots. She sets about planting flower seeds in a neglected corner of a bustling city. And then she waits—through rain, cold, and snow. Rose waits, never doubting that the garden she envisions will one day come to be. In this luminous picture book inspired by and dedicated to the late Rose Fitzgerald Kenny, Peter H. Reynolds offers a heartwarming story that celebrates the true spirit of community and the power of nature, beauty, and faith.	Peter H. Reynolds