Michelle's Garden: How the First Lady Planted Seeds of Change

by Sharee Miller

Overview

From an acclaimed author and illustrator: Enjoy this tribute to Former First Lady Michelle Obama and her contributions to building the healthy future that America's children deserve.
 
Former First Lady Michelle Obama had an idea. A big, inspiring, and exciting idea! She would grow the largest kitchen garden ever at the White House. This wouldn't be easy, since she'd never gardened before: Where should she start? What tools did she need? What would she plant?

Everyone needs help when they're learning something for the first time, even the first lady of the United States. So she gathered the help of local students, the White House staff, and even President Barack Obama. Together, they wouldn't just grow a garden—they would inspire a nation!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316458573
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	03/02/2021
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	373,317
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 10.60(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Sharee Miller lives and works in Jersey City with her husband and their two cats, Pumpkin and Spice. Her illustrations combine bright colors, patterns, and expressive characters to tell the stories she wishes she had as a kid. She is the author of Princess Hair and Don't Touch My Hair!

Editorial Reviews

03/01/2021

Beginning with how Michelle Obama’s earliest introduction to healthy lifestyle choices bloomed into a love of fresh produce and staying active, Miller pays tribute to the figure’s eventual hope “to help all kids be healthier.” As First Lady, aiming to excite kids about “eating more fruits and vegetables,” Obama creates the largest kitchen garden in White House history, despite having never before gardened. Unsure where to begin, she invites chefs and gardeners to show her the ropes, and students to help plant, water, and harvest the 1,100-sq.-ft. plot—planting seeds that inspire “more families, schools, and urban communities across the country to build their own.” Miller’s watercolor, colored pencil, and ink illustrations show expressive images of Obama’s unyielding commitment to the project alongside tools needed to get the job done. Back matter includes additional information about the White House Kitchen Garden and an easy-to-follow activity for starting a paper cup garden. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Michelle's Garden:
"[Michelle's Garden is] sure to encourage readers to eat their veggies and join Michelle Obama’s table, even if all they start with is a cup." —Kirkus Reviews

"[Sharee] Miller’s watercolor, colored pencil, and ink illustrations show expressive images of Obama’s unyielding commitment to the project alongside tools needed to get the job done."—Publishers Weekly

Praise for Sharee Miller:
* "After decades of white princesses' domination of American fairy tales, Miller expands the vision of what princess hair can look like to black girls.... A sweet and joyful affirmation of the truth that 'NAPPY princesses are HAPPY princesses.'"—Kirkus Reviews, starred review of Princess Hair

* "[Sharee] Miller tells it like it is. Miller's lighthearted touch effectively delivers a serious, necessary message about respecting boundaries."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review for Don't Touch My Hair!

* "Frank, funny, and revelatory."—Publishers Weekly, starred review for Don't Touch My Hair!

"This is the perfect book for young girls, but especially girls who might not be happy with their hair because it's different from the hair that they see on others."—The Huffington Post review for Princess Hair

"This exuberant, colorful collection of words and pictures is a stylish pick-me-up for any little princess who's ever had a bad hair day. Delightful."—USA Today review for Princess Hair

From the Publisher

08/01/2021

Gr 1–3—This engaging work of narrative nonfiction follows the story of former First Lady Michelle Obama's White House kitchen garden project. It includes brief mentions of her family life and childhood but the main focus is the garden and the hopes and goals that inspired it. Particularly special about this work is the focus on a healthy lifestyle. The prose is simple and clear and is most appropriate for younger students. The work is not so simple, however, as to alienate older, elementary-age children. The fun and vivid illustrations portray the action in the book, which supports younger students in comprehension. Drawings are done in line and filled in with watercolorlike colors. This work would be excellent to start a unit where students grow plants. It would also make a great part of a launch to a larger campus project, like a school garden. Back matter includes a photograph of the project, author's note, and instructions for growing a paper cup plant. VERDICT A delightful work of narrative nonfiction that focuses on healthy living, this book is recommended for all school libraries.—Christina Salazar, Mesquite I.S.D., TX

School Library Journal

2020-12-15
A young readers’ introduction to the work and legacy of former first lady Michelle Obama.

Miller opens with young Michelle Robinson and her brother as children riding their bicycles. “Before Michelle Obama was the First Lady, she was a kid just like you,” she writes, making her subject immediately accessible to young readers. The future first lady is seen enjoying a healthy diet full of veggies as a child and providing the same experience for her own family as an adult. The family exercises and eats home-cooked meals together, with Barack Obama and their daughters asking for more, just as Michelle Obama had done as a child. Miller describes how Michelle Obama sought assistance from White House chefs and gardeners and how she invited local students (depicted as a diverse group) to join in building and maintaining the garden. The bright cartoon illustrations detail both the tools needed and the work involved in building the lush garden. An author’s note shares additional information about the first lady’s garden, a 2010 photo of Michelle Obama at work in it, and a graphic guide to starting a garden with seeds planted in paper cups. Also included is a photo of Michelle Obama from 2010, working with a group of students in the White House garden.(This book was reviewed digitally with11-by-17-inch double-page spreads viewed at 60.2%of actual size.)

Sure to encourage readers to eat their veggies and join Michelle Obama’s table, even if all they start with is a cup. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews