The Concrete Garden, written and illustrated by Bob Graham. Candlewick Press, Penguin Random House. 2023. $24.99 ages 4 and up

 

"Then Jack made 
a dandelion out of it. 
Simple as that! 

Janet Fairly worked hard on 
a mushroom. The Bradley 
twins added flowers."

Kids believe in themselves as artists; that is, until someone usually older than them and expecting to see conventional images asks what they are drawing. To the child, it is just as it was imagined. Too often, in school and at home, children lose their creativity in a bid to draw what others expect of them. As a kindergarten teacher, it was very easy to see that the kids in my classes were far more concerned with process than with product. Would that it were always that way! 

There is a sense of freedom as children and parents pile into the elevator in their apartment building and find their way outside. It's been a long winter, made worse by the COVID virus. Amanda is the last one to emerge; she is carrying a large box of sidewalk chalk. She sets right to work. In quick time, she has drawn what looks much like the covid virus cell itself. It takes no time for other children to add their own touches and design 'a concrete garden'. Even Alfie (Luke's dog) plays a role when he needs a place to pee. EWWW! 

The work goes on, with more and more children involved. After much thought, Rosie adds the piece de resistance when she designs The Queen of Swirls, new ruler of the children's garden. Nasrin, watching from above, sends a photo to her mother in faraway Iran, who sends it on to her many friends. 

"It bounced around the world, returning 
to fill the screens in all the dark rooms 
above the concrete garden."

The children are evidently pleased with the responses. After three days of delighting in their creation, a rainstorm washes it away. With no chalk left to create a new garden, the kids do what kids do. They find a totally different way to use the space. 

Bob Graham continues to use his formidable talent with watercolors and ink to create exceptional scenes of children and their families living life, and finding joy in those lives. A new book from Mr. Graham is always a reason for celebration.