Secret in the Garden

After reading The Secret Garden on a sunny day out in the yard, Sophie begins to feel sleepy ... that is, until she sees "something glimmering in the trees." Exploring, she discovers her own secret garden and a friend at the end of her journey.

I love that this book channels a little bit of The Secret Garden and a little bit of Alice in Wonderland. The story is sweet and simple, but also has an element of mystery to it. The little cut-out pieces in the pages allow for young readers to peek through to the illustrations on the following page and guess what is coming next.

A red robin drops a key into Sophie’s hand. The key opens a hidden gate and leads into a garden where Sophie finds a squirrel, a greenhouse, a fox cub, a rose garden, and a lamb. And when she peeks up into a tree, what will she discover?

This picture book, inspired by “The Secret Garden,” will delight young readers with its charming story of friendship. Special peek-through pages allow the child to peek into the story and discover surprises hidden in the garden. The colorful illustrations accompany the narrative are certain to delight all readers.

Recommended.

Inspired by The Secret Garden by Frances H. Burnett.