Over the years, a little girl pays many visits to her nana’s house and garden…As the seasons cycle, the girl and her mother continue to visit and, increasingly, to help her nana in the “lovely and wild” garden….There is so much beauty in this heartwarming story. Written in rhyming couplets, the simple text flows smoothly. The stunning, delicate illustrations fill in the gaps left by the text, depicting the charm of the garden, Nana’s aging, the family’s emotions, and the girl’s growth. The artwork provides a wonderful display of three—and then four—generations and the love they share. The girl and mother have brown skin and long, black hair while Nana has paler brown skin and white hair...A beautiful, touching story of a family’s love and loss, the garden both metaphor and place of healing.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
While the text discusses the weather and seasons, the images convey a larger meaning. When winter comes, the garden is snow-covered, bare, and quiet. Its emptiness demonstrates that Nana is now gone. . . Life, loss, and rebirth are captured in this poignant, poetic, and ultimately upbeat tribute to the importance of family and connection.
—Booklist
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