Allyson Rankin Reviews Nelson’s Garden by Candy O’Terry & Colleen Esposito

Review by Allyson Rankin, Plymouth, MA

Nelson’s Garden is an amazing book about the value of learning from our elders, not to mention the equally important lesson about storytelling itself. We learn best from those who have lived long lives, with more insight into experiences than what we could ever get from a history book, and this story shows that perfectly. O’Terry and Esposito’s way of writing is descriptive and immersive, giving us some insight into what the characters may look like up close. I especially liked the little tips and tricks about real life gardening like icing on this already beautifully-made cake. 

Books like these rarely contain watercolor illustrations these days, so the bright colors and textures that Bossen so masterfully included in her paintings were a delightful surprise. She captured the carefree feelings of a child during summer vacation with the bright pinks and floral patterns of the character’s clothes and the soft light of the sun. Altogether, I would recommend Nelson’s Garden as the perfect book for children, with wonderful messages on stories and learning from others. 

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Allyson Rankin is a soon-to-be South Shore Charter Public School graduate, who will be attending Cape Cod Community College in September. She enjoys drawing, reading, listening to music, and writing the most in her free time.