Product Description

Lily’s mother makes everything an adventure, including her magical garden full of exotic and beautiful plants from all over the world. When Lily visits the Indian section of the garden, she discovers her own adventure. Through the power of imagination, the plants come alive and Lily finds herself in India. There she sees how the plants are used in Indian culture—a jasmine flower decorates a girl’s hair, a banyan tree becomes a chapel, and a neem tree offers up its berries in a New Year’s treat. Illustrated in the beautiful jewel-toned colors of India, this story comes with a glossary and additional reference pages for children to learn more about the topics presented in the book.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #384992 in Books
• Published on: 2003-04-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 4--Despite a few rough transitions, this is a lovely story that introduces many of India's customs. Wandering in her mother's garden, which is filled with specimens from different countries, Lily is amazed to find herself listening to the magical voices of the plants and trees, telling her stories of their home in India. Jasmine and marigolds describe how they are used in festivals, the banyan tree explains how it provides shelter, coconut and mango trees offer sweet fruit, and the sacred lotus conveys its magic appeal. The soft, almost impressionistic paintings show characters with simply drawn features and lush, colorful landscapes. An illustrated glossary of the eight plants and trees mentioned renders each one in realistic detail. Brief descriptions of several Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, and Islamic festivals referred to in the text are appended, as is a section for would-be gardeners on how to grow marigolds.--Sue Morgan, Tom Kitayama Elementary School, Union City, CA
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Customer Reviews

Kids ages 3-8 will delight in this story
Kids ages 3-8 will delight in this story of a young girl who discovers India by exploring the unusual plants in her mother's exotic garden. Lily's survey of the plants comes to life when suddenly she is transported to India to learn about the lives of three different Indian girls in this whimsical tale, with bright drawings by Rob Hefferan.

Indian mom
I bought this book for my toddler son but I enjoyed reading it more than him, as it is an educational tool for us Asian-Americans. The illustrations are magnificent and it truely speaks to the Indian garden lover.