One Little Lot: The 1-2-3s of an Urban Garden

PreS-Gr 2–What to do with an abandoned city lot full of discarded trash and a group of sad honeybees? It takes a visitor with two helping hands and a great imagination to begin the process. It’s not long before a diverse group of adults, teens, and children are working side by side. They bag up trash, paint over graffiti, and build planter boxes. They plant seeds, care for the vegetables and, most importantly, become friends. Every now and then readers see the honeybees keeping an eye on the group’s progress. Young children will see many people collaborating to create something beautiful. Planting and composting are just a few of the many teachable moments in this story. The illustrations are bright and fun, with faces full of expression. It’s refreshing to read a story where people are able to put aside their differences and unite to complete a goal that everyone can take pride in and share. And the bees? They, too, are happy once they have plants to pollinate. In back pages, Mullen explains the necessity of honeybees and gives steps to make a bee-friendly garden.