Through the Garden Gate

Assisting a neighbor with some weeding leads to a child’s helping fabled creatures in Rose and Brown’s fanciful gardening-focused picture book, which models community care. Text-filled pages chronicle a meandering adventure as brown-skinned Miles works to remove crabgrass, then crawls through a small gate and finds fairies on the other side. Echoing the text’s density, intricate artwork incorporates abundant flora and fauna into scenes of the protagonist helping the fairies to resolve ecological dilemmas. Offering a motivational speech, Miles at last clears up a spreading bog, and the day ends with a simple message that belies the work’s complicated plotting: “Magic is always alive in the garden.” Secondary characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Back matter supplies more about noted species. Ages 5 and up. (Apr.)