We are the Gardeners is a great story of kids starting a garden and making it grow with their family. I really liked the colourful illustrations and the easy-to-read text from the story. The only thing I did not really like is how some bugs are treated as "bad" and some plants as "weeds". We are trying nowadays to explain there is not good or bad plant but only diversity and every organism has its role to play in nature and therefore in the garden.

We Are The Gardeners by Joanna Gaines & Kids

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Story Notes

Design and home makeover expert Joanna Gaines presents a wonderful story about the importance of not giving up in the face of failure.

Joanna and Chip Gaines have become household names all over the US and the world. From their beautiful home makeovers to their creative companies to their fun Silo store, their love of making the world more welcoming and lovely spills over into the lives of those around them. Joanna has also ventured into the world of writing with this well written and well developed story about never giving up. Told from the perspective of her children, Ms. Gaines tells the real-life story of how they became a gardening family. From their first fern to the large gardens they now care for, there were challenges and set backs that gave the children a choice: do we give up or do we try again to make it better? I loved the quote from Chip Gaines ” Every hard thing we choose to do makes us braver for the next time.” Truly this is a lesson that many of us need to learn and remember. Failure does not mean the end but a chance to start over with another idea – think Thomas Edison and the light bulb. I loved the cute story, especially that it included some complicated words that were explained to help expand a child’s vocabulary. Often authors stick with simple words, forgetting that a child can learn harder words if they are explained. I’m glad to see that Ms. Gaines included the “tough” words to inspire children to learn more than the story itself. The illustrations of this book by Julianna Swaney must be mentioned as they were so very beautiful. The colors used were bright but soothing and will certainly make children want to re-read this book often. And while most were very realistic, there were some that were drawn overly large to prove a point – this was a very clever idea. I will certainly be recommending and sharing this book with others as it is truly delightful to read. I will also be adding a physical copy of this book to my collection very soon. Well done, Joanna and Julianna!

I received this E-book free of charge from Tommy Nelson/Thomas Nelson Children via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

The bright, inviting illustrations and the clearly written text detail how a well-known family begins a garden and overcomes some problems along the way. A friendly book with a good message.

As a teacher I couldn't wait to add this book to my classroom library. In today's society I feel that kids don't play outside enough and I truly believe in the importance of play and getting children to spend time outdoors. This book is adorable. The illustrations are sweet and the lessons of the book pertain to all children. This book will be read over and over in class especially during the spring season and during our gardening unit!

This is such a sweet book and I am a big fan of the Gaines family! I read this with my children and will be reading it for years to come :) Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I loved the artwork and how it explains all about gardening to children. It was very enjoyable to read (as an adult) and I was learning as well as my kids. Makes us want to start our garden!

This adorable children's book will be a favorite for children and adults. The illustrations are colorfully captivating and the details of each page are fun to pour over to find all the treasures placed on each page. I was happily surprised that this wasn't a typical children's book with a couple words here and there on each page. The writing is dense and has deeper meaning. And although the gardening aspect of the book isn't a how to this books teaches about perseverance and never giving up no matter the set backs. I was so excited to be able to receive this book through NetGalley when I realized that Joanna had added to her list of talents. Her tone and words and I could hear her voice as I read. My kids will love this book for years to come.

Vibrant, joyful and determined, We Are the Gardeners is a touching biographical story about a family's journey in discovering and falling in love with gardening.

Each page is beautifully illustrated in rainbow hues evoking Summer with all of its blooms and bountiful harvest. This really is quite a pretty book just asking to be read!

There is a sweet, child-like tone to the writing (this was clearly a project the kids played a big role in!), which offers a special appeal to young readers. Imperfect and excited, I'm sure that children will quickly feel a connection to the authors and be inspired to have a go at trying a new hobby - or telling their own story.

The strong message of not being afraid to try again when things go wrong is wonderful, sharing with the reader the pleasure that can be derived from learning new skills and working hard.

A truly wholesome addition to the home library.

We are the Gardeners is a perfect children’s book for Spring. It is written by Joanna Gaines and illustrated by Juliana Swaney. This book is about four siblings who learn to become gardeners. They start with taking care of a fern and graduate to planning and developing a full-scale garden. They face obstacles and learn valuable lessons along the way.

We are the Gardeners is a perfect book for kids who are just learning to read and in whom you want to spark a curiosity for gardening. The pictures in the book are beautiful, with mild colors and a lot of detail. I give this book a 5 out of 5 rating. We are the Gardeners is a must read for this Spring.

Thank you to Netgalley and Owlkids Books for the ARC.

While this book will be received well because it has Joanna Gaines' name on it... it 100% deserves it for the beauty within the pages. The artwork is gorgeous and page by page you find yourself living inside the story. It has a beautiful message about values, compassion and perserverance. I was thrilled to receive an ARC - thank you NetGalley, the publisher and Gaines family. I have additionally purchased one for my children as they are aspiring gardeners and I feel its one we enjoy time and time again.

This is a great book for children. It not only talks about how to grow plants, but it also dips its toes into trying again when you aren't successful the first time. I loved the illustrations. It would be a great book for any child. My granddaughter will find a copy in her Easter basket from me this year! I received this ARC from Netgalley--thank you to Netgalley and the publisher. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, all opinions are mine.

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC. Such a cute story! I loved the illustrations and the book teaches such a good lesson.

We Are The Gardeners by Joanna Gaines is just the cutest little story about gardening. I loved it. The characters are caring, hardworking and motivational. This story will give readers hope and inspiration, weather it be about growing your own garden or just having a different perspective on a situation , Joanna Gaines hits the nail right on the head with this book. A 5 STAR “ Must REad”

A very cute and beautifully illustrated story of one family’s journey to gardening. I loved that the story was told from the perspective of the children and that the parents were there for guidance and support. This actually goes well with what I believe to be the theme of the book: if at first you don’t succeed, do some research, and try again!

A must read for every parent/caregiver wanting to encourager their child to do hard things, to appreciate the beauty of the natural world around them, to work together with their siblings, and to build family culture/traditions!
I’m excited to start small with a little fern of our own!

I have recently become very interested in building a garden and yesterday for my birthday my husband and I set out to do just that. We bought a small upright garden bed as well as a few small ceramic pots, dirt, and a bunch of seeds good for growing in small spaces. We worked with the dirt and planted the seeds and now we just have to sit and wait. We fully know that this might be a complete failure, but if we are able to get a small harvest by the end of the summer I will be very happy.
This book seemed to follow so many of these emotions. We have failure (I too have over-watered a planted until it literally exploded around the pot) and I know the excitement of planting something and waiting until that fateful day when a small seedling pops its head out. I loved the story of this family that is learning to love nature, the outdoors, and growing things. I also really liked that it wasn't all perfect and they had to pick themselves up out of various failures. The illustrations were so vibrant and beautiful and really lended themselves well to the story.
This is a wonderful story to share with children about gardening and hopefully it will inspire more people to get a bit dirty and try and grow something of their own.

I love books that get kids involved in gardening and this one did not disappoint. It wasn't just a fluff book, it had great content, explained how sometimes plants die and had the kids research at the library why the plant died and what they should do to avoid a problem such as over hydration in the future. See the kids succeed after trail and error is so important and why this makes my must-read list.

Really adorable and fun little picture book! I loved that it had a lot more detail and I think it'll be very engaging for children.

Joanna Gaines and the Gaines children demonstrates how anyone can garden with just a little research, a little planning and a little love. It's soothing colorscape solidifies this as a keeper title for any collection and one for multi-grade, multi-unit usage.

We keep a little fern on the piano to remind us of our small beginnings. Every time we water it, we're reminded not to give up when things don't work out the first time. Because the thing is, whether one potted fern dies or half of the garden is wiped out by little critters, every failure or setback teaches us something. Dad says that every hard thing we choose to do MAKES US BRAVER for the next time.

A garden can teaches us many life lessons and with the Gaines way of keeping community in the family, it is no wonder they are so popular among our culture. The connection with their children and all that they do is inner woven in these pages. From the beginning of a loss fern to the family coming together to make garden creates a bond that we all long for.

Loved the illustration as well, pastel colors and happy faces as they face their challenges together. Highly recommend.

A Special Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

"We Are the Gardeners" is a beautiful introduction to gardening for children and families. We’ve all had plants that didn’t thrive due to problems with watering, sunlight, or wildlife. This charming children’s book shows that planting and maintaining a garden is hard work, but it’s also rewarding to create something of beauty and utility. The Gaines children learn how to solve problems, work diligently, and do their research when creating a garden. This book will inspire families to start their own gardens or tend to indoor plants if gardening isn’t an option. Illustrator Julianna Swaney also deserves high praise for her beautiful and charming illustrations that make this book such a joy to look at.