Growing a Reader: Kids' Books, Tips and More

Gif From Google search bar for first day of spring

With spring finally upon us, and with what we hope is the worst of cold weather behind us, it is time to think about our gardens and growing things, however that manifests itself for you and your family (back yard, containers, balcony or community garden).

Children love to be involved in gardening, and research has shown that there are implications beyond a feeling of well being when we are involved in the great outdoors. We become more connected and committed to the environment the more we are involved in actually nurturing growing things.

While it is still too early in the year to actually be working in the garden, it is never too early to plan. Toronto Public Library has a wealth of resources for you to share with your child/ren from how to plant to how to cook what you have grown. As well, there are picture books for the very young child to explain how things grow. Here are just a few of my favourites.

It is surprising how many things can be grown in containers, whether as a start up for future planting in the garden, or as a permanent place for a plant. Kids' Container Gardening by Cindy Krezel, is a wonderful how-to guide for the beginning gardener. The book has 18 projects that have proven successful during the author's time as director of "The Good Earth Kids' Club. The book is organized by season and each project is simple to make and fun to create. There are ideas for gifts as well as ideas to keep. What better way to get children enthused about the coming change of season than to start to grow container plants?

For actual garden activities Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots: gardening together with children will inspire and inform. Written  and illustrated by Sharon Love joy it includes suggestions for a Discovery Walk, a chapter on gardening basics and suggestions for building both a planting and maintenance guide. If you need some incentives to get kids interested in gardening, there is a chapter for planting a Pizza Patch and one on developing a Flowery Maze. In short, there are many ideas to capture the imagination of all gardeners, no matter the age.

It might be helpful for the very young child to introduce the concept of a garden through picture books. One excellent book for this purpose is Lois Ehlert's book, Planting a Rainbow. This is actually a companion book to her earlier work Growing Vegetable Soup. Using bright bold colours, Ehlert celebrates the dazzling array of shapes, colours and variety of plants to be found in a garden. The book takes the reader through the process of ordering seeds and bulbs, planting them and then waiting for the plants to grow. The text is deceptively simple and the illustrations glorious.

These are but a few titles that can capture the imagination of the young gardener. We also have many cook books relating to the vegetables that are grown in the typical urban garden. We would love to hear about your gardening endeavours, and pictures are welcome as well! Please use the comments section below. Happy spring!