Bonnie Christensen (1951–2015)

What a little gem Plant a Little Seed is. With a deceptively simple, poetic text and gorgeous, evocative illustrations, author/illustrator Bonnie Christensen delightfully and realistically shows the joys, the pleasures of gardening (planting seeds, waiting for the seeds to sprout, and finally, harvesting and enjoying nature's bounty). While the poetic narrative is uncomplicated enough to be enjoyed by toddlers, I believe that slightly older children (especially children interested in gardens show more and gardening) would also find pleasure reading Pant a Little Seed (or having it read to them). The detailed supplemental information is an added bonus (I particularly like the fact that Bonnie Christensen mentions the importance of insects for pollination, that worms keep the soil soft and aerated, that many insects are beneficial and actually eat common garden pests).

The accompanying illustrations have an almost jewel or stained glass like quality to them, and not only do they wonderfully and expressively compliment and mirror the text, they also provide information not found within the narrative proper (I love the fact that the two friends planting seeds and gardening are a girl and a boy, and that they are depicted as being ethnically diverse). And that these two facts are only demonstrated by and through the illustrations (that the text itself makes no mention of either the gender or the ethnicity of the two friends, that it is simply a story of two friends planting seeds, two friends tending their garden) is both lovely and encouraging; it shows ethnic diversity and ethnic diverse friendships as something natural, as natural, as beautiful as plants, as gardens, as sunshine and rain, as nature itself. show less

Two young friends discover the joys of gardening in this lovely picture-book from Bonnie Christensen, carefully tending their plants throughout the growing season, and then reaping the rewards when harvest time comes. "We plant a little seed or two / or three or four or more, / then pat the soil, warm in the sun, / and water and wait / and wait and dream... / and dream and wait some more," it begins, following the girl and boy through the hot summer and cool autumn in their community garden, show more culminating in a feast for their friends and family.

I really appreciated this tale of two young people involved in their local community garden, both because I think community gardens are a wonderful idea, and because I found the poetic narrative quite enjoyable. The artwork, which looks as if it were some kind of block-print - I'm not entirely sure of the medium used - is colorful and appealing, with a simple, "folksy" style that is well suited to the subject. I particularly liked the fact that the humans depicted were diverse - the young girl is white, the young boy black - and also really liked many of the animals shown, from the pet dog to the family of rabbits that hang about the garden. All in all, this was a charming picture-book look at gardening, one I would recommend to young gardeners themselves, as well as to those looking for children's stories showing community projects. show less

I enjoyed this biography of Django, a guitarist who lived in the early 1900’s. The book was not very informative, but touched on all the most important aspects of Django’s life in a very artistic way. The book follows him and his passion for music from his childhood. The author using some poetic verse throughout his narrative to artistically represent his passion for playing music: “Music…sighing weeping laughing breathing reeling spinning.” I did not know that Django even existed show more before reading this book, and I felt that the book really informed me on who Django was and his amazing feat of becoming a guitar player who only played with two fingers due to his injury. I enjoyed how the author was able to incorporate a theme of perseverance and passion into the biography to make it more enjoyable to the author. The book almost made Django seem larger than life, although he was a real person who achieved incredible musicality and awareness as a musician. Finally, I really enjoyed the art in this book. The style was very ambiguous, with bright and murky colors blending together, to form an almost sensual feeling to the book to represent how Django’s music made people feel. show less

Maybe this story will help inspire other children with injuries, illness, or disability. A poetic biography, beautifully illustrated, told with short descriptive and active sentences, bringing us to a different time and different culture. A time of hard work and country life. A people who enjoy music, dancing and celebration. Abandoned by his father, Django scrapes by as a street musician, then plays in dance halls. A fire scars his hands and the doctors say he'll never play again. He pulls show more himself out of his depression and practices, forcing his hand to start to obey him. Months go by. He is again part of the music.
The end pages include a summary of the rest of Django's life, Notes on the Roma, more information about some of the historic items which readers might not be familiar with, a bibliography (for adults) and a selected discography. show less