About the Author-

• Joanna Gaines is the co-founder of Magnolia, a New York Times bestselling author, editor-in-chief of Magnolia Journal, and creator and co-owner of Magnolia Network.

  Born in Kansas and raised in the Lone Star State, Jo graduated from Baylor University with a degree in Communications. It was an internship in New York City that prompted her desire to discover how she could create beauty for people. In a big city unknown to her, Jo always felt most at home whenever she stepped inside the cozy and thoughtfully curated boutique shops, which inspired her to open a shop of her own in Waco, Texas.

  Alongside her passion for design and food, nothing inspires Jo more than time spent at home with Chip and their five kids—whether they're messing with recipes in the kitchen or planting something new in the garden.

Reviews-

• 

  March 25, 2019
  Persistence and teamwork pay off in this picture book debut by the costar (with husband Chip Gaines) of HGTV’s Fixer Upper, who recounts her family’s gardening exploits. Relayed in the communal voice of four Gaines offspring, the narrative retains its chirpiness even when things go awry, as when the very first plant their father buys—a wispy fern—droops and dies, a victim of the kids’ overzealous watering efforts (“death by overhydration”). In pastel-hued pictures, Swaney (Mermaid School) underscores the young gardeners’ good intentions as they line up, each holding a watering can, to do their part, but they soon acknowledge that “by mistake, we loved that plant to death.” A replacement fern sips from a teacup after library books teach the children that “most plants have good manners and like to sip, not gulp.” The family eventually moves their garden outdoors, where their diligence yields bountiful vegetables and flowers, charmingly depicted in the art, despite occasional interference by villainous insects and “sneaky” animal trespassers. The arrival of a new baby boosts the feel-good quotient of this book about hard work and “everyday miracles,” a surefire hit with the Gaines family’s followers. Ages 4–8.

• What better way to learn about the joys of gardening than to hear members of a family sharing their experience? Meet the Gaineses, who had no experience with growing things when they started with "Fern Number One" and then moved on to a houseful, and then to a "yardful" of plants. Along the way, this family shares both the science and practicality of gardening; for example, overhydration equals "too many drinks for a little plant." As listeners learn the basics of gardening, exuberance and enthusiasm shine in the narrators. The pacing and inflection are varied as the production bounces quickly from speaker to speaker. Meet garden heroes (ladybugs) and villains (aphids), composters (worms) and bullies (weeds), and ponder sage tips ("trying and failing and trying again"). A.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
• 

  May 15, 2019
  Preschool-G The trials, tribulations, and joys of gardening are brought to light in this entertaining tale of one family's introduction to caring for indoor plants and using that know-how in a garden, from Gaines of HGTV's Fixer Upper fame. After a fern dies from being overloved and overwatered, four children and their parents study up on what plants require. Once they feel ready, the family works together to design a fruit, vegetable, and flower garden. As the plot takes shape, the family gains knowledge about seeds, garden critters?both good (worms and ladybugs) and bad (aphids)?and pollinators, including hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. Though the family has some trouble with animals eating their produce, they remember that every failure or setback teaches us something. Delicately detailed and engaging illustrations deftly follow the garden's progress. Packed with useful information in an easy-to-understand format, this will help children, and their adults, who wish to venture into the world of growing some of their own food and flowers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

• Audiofile Magazine What better way to learn about the joys of gardening than to hear members of a family sharing their experience? Meet the Gaineses, who had no experience with growing things when they started with 'Fern Number One' and then moved on to a houseful, and then to a 'yardful' of plants. Along the way, this family shares both the science and practicality of gardening; for example, overhydration equals 'too many drinks for a little plant.' As listeners learn the basics of gardening, exuberance and enthusiasm shine in the narrators. The pacing and inflection are varied as the production bounces quickly from speaker to speaker. Meet garden heroes (ladybugs) and villains (aphids), composters (worms) and bullies (weeds), and ponder sage tips ('trying and failing and trying again'). A.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award

Title Information+

• Publisher

  Tommy Nelson

• OverDrive Listen

  Release date:

Digital Rights Information+