The Imperfect Garden

A young boy and his mother plant a garden every spring. They grow cucumbers, carrots, and apples, and the boy enjoys harvesting their produce. Twirly-whirly cucumbers, two-legged carrots, and bumpy apples that resemble a face particularly impress him. Mom explains that this produce is perfectly fine but that stores usually stock only “perfect” items because that’s what customers want. In the fall, the boy and his mother return to the produce market where the boy is disappointed by the boring perfection he sees until the grocer leads them to a special section where they discover a cucumber shaped like the number six, a three-legged carrot, and heart-shaped kiwis.

Assaly’s simple story seems calculated to impress upon young readers that produce need not be perfect nor uniform in order to be nutritious or delicious, and, in that, Assaly succeeds. The text is not particularly informative about the work involved in creating a productive and successful garden (beyond simple watering and harvesting), but Assaly does touch upon the social aspects of this hobby, including sharing a homemade apple pie with a neighbor. April dela Noche Milne’s vividly coloured artwork emphasizes greens and earth tones, with orange and red used to highlight ripe produce. On a few pages, the text’s overlapping with some of the art details may prove distracting for younger readers. Appended with an author’s note and a section of gardening tips, The Imperfect Garden will be welcomed by families who raise their own produce.