Sharon Rose

I’m swept away by the whimsical illustrations!! Erin Brown did a phenomenal job! The amount of details with characters partially blending in / camouflaging with or hiding in-between the nature around them … it’s like a Wimmelbild! So much artistic love and passion. Making me want to pick up my paint brush.

My only issue is that only male characters were helpers. All female characters are side characters and barely contributed except talking … (but hey, at least it’s written and show more illustrated by two women). Wouldn’t have hurt to make the brave fairy female or at least use she/her pronouns.
That’s why half a star less.

But other than that, I can really recommend it!

I like the bits of explanation about the flowers/plants too, especially the mini encyclopedia at the end!

Thank you to The Collective Book Studio on Netgalley for an eARC. The book is set to be released on April 7th 2026.
-Ayxan Solongo, 29.01.26 show less

The wonders of a garden come to life with a touch of fantasy to create a read which inspires and offers something to learn.

Miles is a bit bored and isn't convinced helping the neighbor pull weeds will be exciting, but thanks to a broken leg, the neighbor needs the help. The moment he enters her yard, he meets baby chicks, a dog, and more. Soon, he's learned how to clear crab grass and discovers a tiny door buried behind the weeds in the garden wall. The neighbor encourages him to explore show more beyond the door when his work is done, which he does. But when he opens the door, he discovers more than just a beautiful place. He meets a bit of magic, too.

The illustrations bring the garden with its flowers and animals to life. Every page is colorful and packed with small details to make gazing enjoyable. The illustrator has also taken time to keep each plant truer to reality, so that readers can learn more along the way. Even the magical moments meld wonderfully into the scenes and will have readers wishing they could spend time in the garden with Miles themselves.

The text is very fitting for a read-aloud during story time and also makes a lovely read for beginner readers, who are mostly sure of their words. It does hold a little more text than some picture books, but the story flows nicely and offers a complete adventure. While the first section lets the reader visit the neighbor's yard and get to know a bit about the plants as Miles pulls the weeds, the rest shifts into a fantastical mini-adventure with animals and more plants to learn about. The plant facts meld with the adventure to make sure that the learning takes place subtly on the side. And the adventure holds tons of goodness as friendship, working together, and helping others comes into play. So, it's a well-rounded read.

The end of the book holds a type of glossary where the main plants are shown again along with a short description about each one. This makes it also useful for themes surrounding plants and gardens or for other activities. show less

It’s summer and Miles is bored and wishing for anything unusual to happen. His mom suggested he go see the neighbor and help her out in her garden. Miles then finds is “unusual” happening.

I loved that this book has lush filled illustrations that are bright, colorful and full of amazing detail when it comes to the flowers and animals. The story is truly unique and inspiring for children who have quizzical minds. The teaching moments about bravery and courage are intertwined beautifully show more within the story with the help of the whimsical adventure and imagination.
At the end of the book, there is information about the different plants and animals in the book that helps children recognize those different types in real life. Most definitely recommend this book for little ones who love nature, asking questions about gardens and plants or just learning about plants.
#ThroughTheGardenGate #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley, author Sharon Rose and the publisher, The Collective Book Studio for the opportunity to read this fantastic book and share my thoughts on it. show less

I would tell you a little about the story if I thought it would make any sense. This cozy mystery has taken the eccentric character theme to an extreme. Every character seemed to have exaggerated mannerisms every time they appeared on a page. The mystery became totally lost in these caricatures.