Kaiah’s Garden

Kaiah is starting over in her new home but without the comforts she felt when she lived with her grandmother. Life is now with her mother and younger brother, and so everything has changed, from the smell, the sounds, the garden, and even the layout of the house is upsetting and unfamiliar. To a young child, these changes are amplified as she deeply misses her life with her grandmother.

With her little dog Atim at her side, Kaiah must come to terms with the changes and start accepting everything that is new, but how? In a moment of sadness, Kaiah hears her grandmother’s voice whisper to her: “Did you forget what’s in your treasure box?”

Kaiah had forgotten and rushes to her bedroom to find the special memory box that had been handed down through the generations from her grandmother. Opening the box brings a wealth of lovely and warm memories of beading with her grandmother. Every little project inside had a meaning. The brightly beaded apple was the first thing she had made after being taught by her grandmother how to bead. Then came a beaded sun, roses, a turtle, and a butterfly – all reminders of her grandmother’s garden and the life Kaiah had left behind.

Inspired by the memories, Kaiah shares with her mother that she wants to create something new, and she chooses a rainbow to reflect her new life ahead and to join the memories of her past home and comfort. Ultimately deciding that her new house, her new street, and new town are not so bad after all, Kaiah and her family work side by side to create new memories through the messages of beading, and healing.

Kaiah’s Garden has beautiful illustrations and a simple dialogue to encourage conversation with its audience. I think children will find this book motivating, and parents and teachers should not be surprised when they are asked to teach how to bead! I would recommend this book to be in all school libraries and to be considered by parents to engage children in discussion on the passing of a grandparent and how memories can be a comfort.