Hurray! Hurray! Hurray! A brand-new book launching TODAY, just in time for Spring and all those little gardeners who are itching to get planting.
Here’s a little bit about the book from the Amazon sales page:
Sunshine is for soaking up,
and seeds are meant for sowing.
Raindrops give small sprouts a drink,
and gardens are for growing.
In this tender poem, the love between a father and daughter blossoms alongside the seeds they plant together. As the garden grows, the daughter grows from a toddler to a teen and finally to a woman with a child of her own. The cottagecore illustrations beautifully connect the seasons of nature with the seasons of life, where new beginnings abound.
Spring is meant for brand new starts,
and hearts are meant for knowing.
Homes are made to call you back
where gardens are for growing.
What a joyful cover! And wait till you open the book and turn the pages:
See what I mean? With our world in turmoil, I think a book like this provides a moment of calm and a safe haven for young children – a place where they can plan to make new memories with loved ones.
And Chelsea was so kind…she stopped by to offer a giveaway…winner’s choice of a Picture Book Critique or a copy of the book. And she also wanted to share a bit about the path to publication for Gardens Are for Growing
CHELSEA: I am SO not a gardener, myself. I do not have a green thumb! But my husband is a natural, and over the years he’s built a small but thriving vegetable garden in our backyard. While I may not be good at growing things myself, I really love watching my kids grow up digging for earthworms and harvesting zucchini that are bigger than they are! I wanted to share the value of time spent in a garden with other families.
This was the book that got me my agent, so it’s extra special I wrote it in a single night at the Highlights Foundation in Pennsylvania. I find that my strongest manuscripts are the ones that just pour out – like they’re meant to be!
WOW! – that is amazing! It’s the manuscript that got Chelsea her agent! She wrote it in a single night while at Highlights Foundation! So, this is a shout-out to people who are wondering if writing retreats are of value…YES, they are! And also a gentle nudge to those who may be working on one manuscript (and only one manuscript) for many years, tweaking and revising till they get it ‘perfect’ before they send it out. While it true we want to submit our best work – it’s important to realize that no manuscript will ever be ‘finished’…when your CPs say it’s ready…and you feel it’s polished…send it out into the world…and be working on others.
To find out more about the lovely Chelsea and her books:
Chelsea Tornetto is an author, world geography teacher, and mom who has been writing ever since she was a kid. Her first book, Conquering Content Vocabulary, was published by Scholastic in 2018, but now her passion is picture books. In both the classroom and in her books, her goal is to help kids fall in love with the wonders of our world and to introduce them to places and people beyond their own backyard. She lives in Jackson, Missouri, with her husband, Mike, her two kids, Tessa and Milo, and a miniature dachshund named Stella. She loves snow days, lattes, and summer. She hates spiders, her sinuses, and laundry.
Her website is www.chelseatornetto.com
Twitter is @MrsTornetto
Amazon links for her two new books:
God Made You Too
Gardens Are for Growing
At this moment in time, I am in France – ooh la la – hopefully sipping a hot chocolate and munching on a croissant. And where should you be? I wish you could be with me in Paris, sharing that croissant, but if you can’t, you should be leaving a comment to be entered in the giveaway – winner’s choice of either a picture book critique or a copy of the book. Maybe you can share what would be growing in your garden if you had one.
I hope you all have a wonderful week!
VIVIAN KIRKFIELD - Writer for Children 
This is so inspiring!!! Thank you for sharing.
My garden would be full of basil, avocados, bell peppers, eggplants and mangos…if only I had a green thumb.
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Ha! I know the feeling!
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What beautiful illustrations! I’ve just ordered blackberry, raspberry and redcurrant bushes as well as ground cover tomatoes. When the weather warms up I’ll also plant carrots, strawberries and lots of bee friendly flowers :o)
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My house is named “Enchanted Grove” and a narrow garden encircles it. Here rose bushes, oranges, lime and lemons grow. Meanwhile, my backyard is potted with all kinds of cacti, climbing roses and yucca. Gardens are a gift from God, and this book will be a gift to my 4-week old grandson, Liam, very soon. Thank you!
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Thank you so much for purchasing! I hope he loves it!
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I love gardening. I live on a farm with many areas to grow flowers and plants. A lot of hard work but the outcome is worthwhile. Thanks for sharing your book. Best wishes in 2022.
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Highlights conferences have been a great learning tool. I attended two back in the 90’s. I was lucky to have the great Patty Gauch and Sharon Creech (she won the Newberry that week) as my writing mentors. Still have a T-shirt I won during an auction with all the instructors/writers’ signatures on it.
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Highlights was definitely a turning point in my writing career!
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Thanks for sharing your book and it’s inspiration. Right now my garden is still under threat of frost so on hold for a little while longer!
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Oh, I know! My husband has been out covering plants at night for the past week or so here in Missouri.
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Oh, how I love this glimpse at your book! The music of your words and the artwork by Hsulynn Pang are delightful! I can’t wait to share it with young friends who love gardening.
My husband covered our raised bed and tucked Christmas lights in among the veggies to ward off Jack Frost last winter. Several plants overwintered. Today I will harvest cherry tomatoes and edible nasturtiums for supper.
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I, too am NOT a gardener, but I can appreciate all of the love and dedication that goes into one. There is an abundance of life beneath our soil and to tie that in with the circle of life was an amazing, unique idea. Congratulations on landing an agent. Best of luck to you.
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This story looks delightful! Our family also has a small, but thriving vegetable garden and I love watching the dedication our kiddos put into the planning and caring of it. This is one of those books we’ll be able to relate to! Thank you for sharing a peek at your new book, and congratulations!
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We started a pandemic garden. It’s small, but we love growing things we can cook and eat like broccoli, squash and tomatoes. We also have lots of rosemary and green onions. But flowers are beautiful too, and we have lots of bulbs that come up at different times of the year. Thanks for the great interview!
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Oh I love this! We have our seeds started safety inside still here in Idaho, where it is currently dumping about 4 inches of rather unseasonal April snow. So dreaming about the garden is a wonderful way to start the morning! Can’t wait to read this beautiful rhyming book!
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Sounds like a lovely warm story. Reminds me of my husband and daughters. Books that tug at strands of memories are so powerful.
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Congratulations Chelsea and Hsulynn! Calm, gardening, family, color, time, and rhyme- looks wonderful. I have peonies coming up through no green thumbing on my part.
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What a delight to read this story! I have flower gardens in my backyard and always looking at how to add more plants. I especially love when the birds drop seeds that grow into “volunteers” – unexpected garden guests.
Have a great time in France, Vivian!
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This book is like a ray of spring sunshine … can’t wait to read it!
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Soooo sweet❤️
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It just stopped snowing in Rochester, NY (well maybe not yet) but I’m planning a pollinator garden as soon as I can get out there. Good luck with the book. It looks beautiful.
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LOVE this idea for a pb, Chelsea. I’m partial to rhyming text!
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I love your premise….gardens do last a lifetime. When we moved to a condo, our daughters dug up the perennial herbs and flowers in our garden and transplanted them in theirs. Your book is a keeper!
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This book is beautiful! I plant a vegetable garden each year because I enjoy fresh tomatoes, beans, and peppers. It’s lovely to have fresh foods available just outside my door.
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