Benjamin Grows a Garden

Benjamin loves springtime. The grass grows bright green, the birds sing sweet songs and, best of all, Benjamin and his mother start their garden. In just the right order, they plant mahtamin (corn), pimiciwacis (beans), and osawipak (squash) for Three Sisters Soup. They plant strawberries to serve with bannock, then zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers. Benjamin and his mum lovingly tend to the garden and watch it grow into a plentiful harvest with enough to share. Throughout the whole summer, Benjamin dreams about the fall, when they'll have all the ingredients for a feast - and everyone will be invited! In this heartwarming story, award-winning author Melanie Florence evocatively portrays the pleasures and rewards of growing and sharing food. The steps of the gardening process - digging holes, planting seeds, watering - are carefully described, and the yearly cycle of growing, harvesting, eating and then starting again the next year is emphasised. Special attention is paid to the tradition of planting corn, beans and squash together so that each plant by its nature helps the others grow. Benjamin and his mother use Cree words throughout the story, and a pronunciation guide is included at the back of the book for further inquiry. Vivid illustrations by Hawlii Pichette make this a perfect follow-up to the author and illustrator duo's previous book, Benjamin's Thunderstorm.Author: Melanie Florence,author,Hawlii Pichette,illustrator Contributors: Melanie Florence,author,Hawlii Pichette,illustrator Binding: hardcover Publication Date: Release Date: Languages: English,Published,English,Original Language,Englis Format: Picture Book Published/Release Date: 2 Sep 2025 Format: Hardback Publisher/Studio/Brand: Kids Can Press Author/Director/Artist: Melanie Florence Dimension (cm): 222x262x10 mm Package Dimension (cm): 9x263x222 mm Item Weight (g): 386 Package Weight (g): 370