Growing Together

Zippy rhymes hail the bounty that emerges from a community garden in this animated picture book. With welcoming lines, a youth addresses a potted plant: “It’s springtime! It’s green time!/ You need room to grow./ Your new home is waiting./ Ready? Let’s go.” With the sprout planted in a raised bed, the protagonist pivots to gardening instruction on a seemingly condensed timeline, applauding the role of pollinators and playfully introducing produce—from pea pods to carrots and more. When at last it’s time for a communal meal cooked from harvest at summer’s end, the child embraces a plant that’s grown into a gigantic sunflower. Gardening feels like a party in Escobar’s bountiful digital drawings. Figures, depicted with various abilities and skin tones, are consistently all smiles as they literally dance amid the garden’s abundance—a picture of plenty that vibes well with Spiro’s peppy lines. A glossary concludes. Ages 4–8. (Feb.)