Lisa Westberg Peters

From the first humans in North America to the immigrants and refugees of today, the story of America’s diversity is the story of migration.

Poetic text and stunning watercolors outline the history of how peoples from all over the globe arrived in what is now the United States of America. Peters likens migrants to seeds that are carried on the wind, taking root in the new soil, creating a “garden of Americans who turn to face the wind.” The book begins with spreads featuring different show more groups of arrivals, chosen for their numbers, contributions, or impact. Native Americans, English settlers, enslaved Africans, Chinese railroad workers, and migrant field workers are among those featured, and each is accompanied by a few sentences that do not explicitly mention country names but cut to the core of their significance with pointed honesty. “The brutal leader” of a group of “colonists” depicted as conquistadors, for instance, is recorded as having “slaughtered the tribe that was living” where they settled. After the Statue of Liberty’s famous welcoming poem appears in its entirety, more modern immigration is represented. These pages feature individuals here and now: a mother who works long cleaning shifts, a 13-year-old refugee who wears a head scarf, a boy who loves soccer. And finally, a city block exuberantly depicting residents of many skin tones under a celebratory sky of fireworks. The beautiful text celebrates America’s difficult immigrant history with honesty and respect while simultaneously maintaining a feeling of pride and optimism in its present and future. Extremely informative notes round out this outstanding book. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10.5-by-21-inch double-page spreads viewed at 53.1% of actual size.)

Enlightening, visually gorgeous, and emotionally moving. (glossary, note, sources) (Informational picture book. 6-10)

-Kirkus Review show less

I will not read this. I excerpt points from a review in progress, posted to a newsletter today, and I trust this reviewer:
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Reviewer: Debbie Reese
Review Status: Not Recommended

To understand this critique of We Are A Garden: A Story of How Diversity Took Root in America you must begin with, and hold fast to, the fact that Native peoples were nations of peoples before the U.S. was a nation. Our status as nations is why Europeans and (later) leaders of the U.S. made treaties with leaders of show more Native Nations. If Native Nations were not seen as nations with leaders who could enter into diplomatic negotiations, treaties with us would not exist. But they do exist and they do matter, today. We are sovereign nations. None of that is in We Are A Garden. ...

With this book, Peters and Tentler-Krylov encourage the growth of a feel-good story that hides the truths of the United States and its history.

The back cover says:
'The wind blows in newcomers from all directions.' "They" become "we," and we become a garden.
Gosh. The wind did all that? Come on! Was it the wind that invaded and stole Native homelands? No. Was it the wind that captured and enslaved Africans? No!

Look at the subtitle: "A Story of how Diversity Took Root in America." It suggests that there was a place called America and that this book will tell you how it became diverse. Seems ok, but it isn't. Before "America" was known by that name, it was known by other names by the people who were there before those who called it "America."

This is, unfortunately, a problem I see a lot. There are children's books with "First Americans" in their title/subtitle.... not ok! Native peoples had names for our respective nations (yes, we were nations before the U.S. was a nation) that pre-date "the United States of America." That fact should be common knowledge. ...

August 2021 show less

A beautiful conceived new type of poetry or science book: It doesn't really fit into a category! Different forms of poetry are used on each page to present lessons in geology. For instance, plate tectonics is presented under the title of: Instructions for the Earth's Dishwasher (really a kind of letter), while metamorphosis is presented in the metaphor of a layer cake baking.

The illustrations were created using a mixed medium of torn paper and paint.

Older students will appreciate the sly show more humor of mixing the poetry format with science, while younger students will love the bright pictures and play on words. This is something for everyone, but a must-have addition to any 3rd grade or older classroom/home-library. show less

Illustrations are gorgeous watercolor paintings and show the perspective from a small fly as he finds himself surrounded inside a house. 3 pets chase this fly around, inadvertently helping a young boy with a chore. Humorous and creative story, the pictures make it a 5 star read-aloud to children!