The Night Gardener by Terry Fan and illlustrated by Eric Fan (Published in 2016). Picture Book. 390L. R.L. 3.2. Grimlock Lane is a street with no interest, color, or joy. This is a story about how just one person can change the outlook of many people.
Booklist (January 1, 2016 (Vol. 112, No. 9))
Grades K-3. Life on Grimloch Lane is, well, pretty grim until the morning William awakens in his home at the Grimloch Orphanage to discover that something marvelous has happened overnight: through topiary art, the tree on the street has been transformed into a giant owl! And that’s just the beginning. Each morning thereafter, a new topiary work appears: first, a cat, then a rabbit, then a parakeet, and finally the most magnificent masterpiece yet appears: a majestic griffin. Who is responsible for these marvels? That night, as William is about to head home, he spots a stranger and follows him. Could it be? Yes, it is the Night Gardener, and he asks William to help him. The next morning, the gardener is gone, but he has left William a life-changing gift. Though not quite life-changing itself, the Fan brothers’ quiet story is nevertheless invested with an element of agreeable magic which is underscored by their use of muted colors to evoke the mysteries of the night. It is a pleasing collaboration with art bound to both haunt and delight.
As students listen and carefully watch the illustrations in this book, they become very much aware of the subtle changes happening on Grimloch Lane. The opportunities this book brings for predicting, text to self, and text to text comparisons can be very enriching. Children love to see just what changes will occur during the night and what they might be able to find the next morning. Just as one child in the story is moved and affected by the actions of the "Night Gardener," students in my class were also intrigued by this picture book.
Posted by Margo Irving
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