Saturdays at Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood

by Tony Hillery, Jessie Hartland (Illustrator)

Overview

In this companion to the bestselling nonfiction picture book Harlem Grown about the real-life urban community farm featured on Humans of New York, it’s harvest time for the employees and volunteers that tend the lush garden.

Mr. Tony and Nevaeh, a student, planted a farm. And then the word got out. Every Saturday people came to help: moms, dads, neighbors, shopkeepers. Everyone pitched in and raked, tiled, dug, and planted. It was beautiful in spring and summer, and when the weather turned to fall, it was time to harvest so everyone could experience the fruits (and vegetables) of their labor. Together they composted, recycled, and enjoyed. They built a garden. They built a community, too.

Take the story even further with an author’s note, a recipe for vegetable soup, and instructions for recycling, composting, and tending to a garden.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781665929783
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Publication date:	07/02/2024
Series:	Harlem Grown
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	1,073,827
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Tony Hillery is the founder and executive director of Harlem Grown. In 2011, he began volunteering at a public elementary school in Harlem. It was then that he noticed the vacant lot across from the street and had a big idea. The rest is history. Tony lives in New York, New York. He is the author of picture books Harlem Grown and Saturdays at Harlem Grown.

Jessie Hartland is the author and illustrator of many nonfiction titles for young readers, including Our Flag Was Still There, which was named a Bank Street Best Book of the Year. The New York Times praised her “joyful folk-art illustrations” in Harlem Grown, written by Tony Hillery. She has painted murals at a Japanese amusement park, designed Christmas windows for Bloomingdale’s, and put her mark on ceramics, watches, and all sorts of other things. She has done drawings for many magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times, Travel and Leisure Family Club, Martha Stewart Kids, and Bon Appétit. She lives in New York City. Visit her at JessieHartland.com.

Editorial Reviews

2024-04-05
A garden grows in Harlem.

Not long ago, a teacher named Mr. Tony and one of his students, Nevaeh, transformed an abandoned lot across the street from their school into a thriving urban garden—events that were depicted in Harlem Grown (2020) and briefly recapped here. All winter long, Mr. Tony and Nevaeh discuss what they’ll plant when it gets warmer. When spring finally arrives, they’re excited but overwhelmed: “How on earth can we do all of this work ourselves?” With a little help from their friends, of course. They put up a sign inviting the community to help clean up the garden: “All are welcome! Young and old!” As people come together each Saturday to pull, rake, till, dig, fertilize, plant, and water, they learn new skills such as composting and recycling and discuss their favorite recipes. The community converges to share their delicious bounty at the harvest festival, showcased in two double gatefold spreads at the end. Hartland’s charming signature gouache illustrations convey the vibrancy of a green natural world in comparison to the energetic bustle of the surrounding city. The book closes with information on Harlem Grown, a real-life nonprofit founded by Hillery that began in 2011 as a single urban farm. Mr. Tony and Nevaeh are cued as Black; the community is diverse.

An illuminating ode to a natural space in an urban environment. (resources on urban gardening, tips on starting an urban school garden, recipe for vegetable soup) (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews