UNCLE JOHN'S CITY GARDEN

In this swan song from one of children’s publishing’s pioneers, a young girl nicknamed Li'l Sissy and her siblings are recruited by their uncle to grow a garden in an inner-city housing project.

Narrating in the first person, the girl shares that when they first arrived at Uncle John's Garden “there were no plants yet—just dirt.” Readers see a barren plot of land surrounded by monotonous chains of tall brick buildings. Uncle John, a physical giant of a man, tills the land and labels the garden rows with plant markers, then the children dig holes, plants seeds, and water the plantings. In the following weeks, they visit the garden almost daily—there are weeds to pull and bugs to chase away—and revel in the wonder of sprouting shoots and budding flowers. When a huge storm arrives, there is high tension as the children wonder if their garden will be destroyed in the raging weather. Thankfully, all is well, and a fine harvest ensues throughout the summer. Young readers will feel the siblings’ sense of accomplishment as they share the garden’s produce at a big family barbecue. Ford’s lovingly remembered autobiographical tale highlights the power of urban gardening to foster community, revive decaying property, create food resiliency, and even promote STEM learning. The figures in Morrison’s oil-and–spray-paint paintings emote pride and quiet joy, challenging the negative association between African American people and farming. All characters are Black.

A simple, lovely story about the power of blooming where you are planted.