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BY PETER H. R EY NOLDS
A sweet fable dedicated to Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy that celebrates the spirit of
community, the beauty of nature, and the power of faith and imagination
Rose’s Garden After traveling the world in her fantastic teapot, Rose is ready to put down roots.
written and illustrated She sets about planting flower seeds in a neglected corner of a bustling city. And
by Peter H. Reynolds
then she waits. Through rain and cold and snow. Rose waits, never doubting
Picture book
91⁄16 x 71⁄2 • 40 pages that the garden she envisions will one day come to be. With simple narration and
All ages • Preschool and up lovely, fanciful illustrations, this luminous picture book resonates with readers of
Ink and watercolor all ages. Author-illustrator Peter H. Reynolds has dedicated it to Rose Fitzgerald
November 2009 Kennedy, the matriarch of the Kennedy family and the namesake of Boston’s
HC: 978-0-7636-4641-7 Rose Kennedy Greenway, a series of gardens, plazas, and tree-lined promenades.
$15.99 ($20.00 CAN)
Peter H. Reynolds is a New York Times best-selling illustrator who has created
many acclaimed books for children. He also runs FableVision, the interactive
media company he founded with his twin brother, Paul. Peter H. Reynolds lives
in Dedham, Massachusetts.
“It’s sad to see the artistic, creative energy slowing down, being packed away,” the
author-illustrator continues. “I am convinced it’s because children learn early that there
are ‘rules’ to follow. But when it comes to expressing yourself, you can invent your own
rules. You can change them, you can stretch them, or you can ignore them all and dive
headfirst into the unknown.
“Nothing irks me more than seeing a person’s creativity get shut down,” says Peter H.
Reynolds. “Through my books, I want to help give kids—and grown-up kids—the
vocabulary to protect their exploration in art, writing, and thinking.”
It certainly appears that his approach is working: not only did The Dot garner high
critical acclaim, it also received the Christopher Award, presented to works that “affirm
the highest values of the human spirit.” His book The North Star has had a profound
effect on readers around the world, inspiring classroom activities, a musical, and
countless thoughtful journeys. In 2009 Candlewick Press published a new edition—
featuring all new art—celebrating the book’s own voyage.
“I was wondering if you’d be interested in creating a story that speaks to the Greenway—
our new park—the way Robert McCloskey’s Make Way for Ducklings centers on the Public
Garden,” Meade asked me. I knew that the Big Dig project had torn down the ugly elevated
roadways that had ripped through the heart of Boston and replaced them with a beautiful,
brand-new park.
Needless to say, I was intrigued by the challenge of creating a story for children and families
in a park envisioned by Senator Ted Kennedy and named for his mother, Rose Fitzgerald
Kennedy. I knew that if I finished the Greenway story, I would dedicate the book to Rose
Fitzgerald Kennedy to honor her spirit and work. I set off to learn as much about her as
I could. I read books, articles, and also arranged to meet Senator Kennedy in his Boston
office, where we spent an unforgettable hour together. The senator shared his mother’s
story while standing at a big window overlooking the city, pointing out important locations
around the harbor, the North End, and the new park named after his mother.
And so I began writing and illustrating the story of a girl named Rose—a girl who had come
to this city filled with hope and vision, imagining something grand, something that would
bring people together and give them a chance to share their stories.
Like Rose Kennedy, my Rose is a person of faith. Her belief in her garden is strong, and like
Rose Kennedy, she survives many storms and disappointments. In the story, her resilient
faith attracts children from every neighborhood, each bringing a hand-crafted paper flower,
as well their own stories of how they had come to the city, “like seeds carried on a breeze.”
Not unlike my other books, The Dot, Ish, and the The North Star, I hope this fable will be
a “conversation starter.” I want children to be able to participate in the story, to interact
with its themes of community, connection, courage, and creativity. I imagined children in
classrooms and homes making their own paper flowers, planting seeds, and writing stories
about their own personal journeys.
Writing and illustrating Rose’s Garden has been a rare honor. To be a part of the history and
the story of Boston has been an unforgettable and moving experience. The Rose Fitzgerald
Kennedy Greenway is now, and will always be, a very special place to me—one that I intend
to support and encourage stewardship toward for generations to come.
Ish So Few of Me
In this gentle Peter H. Reynolds
fable, a creative returns with an
spirit learns that important message
thinking “ish-ly” is for readers of all
more valuable than ages: stop and take a
“getting it right.” little time to dream.
“The overriding “Intriguing and
theme about inviting. . . . While
creativity versus there’s an adult
exactitude will sensibility at work,
resonate with the gentle humor and
many. counting element tip
The line-and-watercolor artwork is simple, the scales toward a child audience.” —Kirkus Reviews
but it has great emotion and warmth. Kids will
HC: 978 - 0-7636 -2623 - 5 • $14.00 ($18. 50 CA N)
respond to that, too.” —Booklist
HC: 978 -0-7636 -2344-9 • $14.00 ($15. 50 CA N)