Happy Book Birthday: GARDENS ARE FOR GROWING Plus Critique Giveaway

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.

Written by Chelsea Tornetto – Illustrated by Hsulynn Pang – Published by Familius

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!

61 thoughts on “Happy Book Birthday: GARDENS ARE FOR GROWING Plus Critique Giveaway”

Gardening is a passion. I have raised beds filled all summer. I also sponsor and tend a garden at a local child care center. I get to read books, plant with the children,

and investigate together.

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