I read this to my two children (ages 6 and 9). They absolutely loved the characters and, additionally, the characters. As a parent, I appreciated the message in the story, and it opened up discussions regarding nature and friendship. I adored the art style, the story, and the friendships shown in this book. A great addition to any children's library.

A gem of a book about dying and where we go upon death. This lovely Canadian children’s book has gorgeous illustrations that feel calming. While sometimes sad they are overall loving in the end.
An amazing book to gift any child (or even adult) who has experienced loss recently and is having trouble coping. Or, I would suggest, as a way to prepare children for the idea of death.
I really wish our society was more open about death and my hope is that this lovely gem of a story can help.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Interesting but kind of odd art. Ok story.. Purchase for the library is quirky books are popular. If quirky books don't circulate, skip it.

This was an absolutely beautiful title about grief, and definitely one that I'll be recommending! I think anyone at any age can gain something from reading this one.

As someone who was grieving when I read this book, I appreciated the non- denominational attempt to explain dying to little children. As a librarian who conducts weekly storytime, I would use slightly different language, such as large and beautiful cat, rather than impressive because children are trying to understand a difficult concept and do not need a to expand there vocabulary with this book. The illustrations are lovely and I will order it for our collection.

This was so sweet and sad. I will definitely be buying a physical copy for my family. I don't usually read children's books but when. I see a rabbit on the cover I just have to.

There is a lot of tenderness in this book. It is needed since it is about those we've lost and how we can keep them in our hearts forever. I loved the message, the text, the poetry, the illustrations and the colors. This picture book feels like a big hug and it is full of hope. Perfect!
I highly recommend it, for all ages.

Beautiful book about death and grief for children. I love the sweet illustrations and the message the book conveys in a gentle way.

A GARDEN OF CREATURES by Shelia Heti is a picture book about a young bunny, a toast coloured bunny and a rose-and-buttercream coloured cat. The toast coloured bunny dies leaving the other two very sad. The young bunny has many questions about loss and asks his friend the cat. The cat doesn’t have any answers to the bunny’s questions but together they find a way to accept and deal with their loss.
A GARDEN OF CREATURES is beautifully illustrated. The story deals with loss in a sensitive way. I am looking forward to seeing the finished product.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced digital edition of this book.

This was a very sweet and moving book designed for children to talk about the death of a loved one. The illustrations were beautiful. I think that the book did a good job of bringing up the questions that come when someone dies, I can see how this would be important for a child and a good way of talking to them about those questions. The only thing that I wish the book would have focused on more is giving some answers, or a way to put those questions in context. I think it did, but in a kind of nebulous way, and I think it would have been nice to make that answer a little bit more concrete for children to think about.

In the garden there are three animals in the garden.. there is a small white bunny, a bunny of toast color and a
buttercream cat. The toast color bunny dies. The white bunny asks questions that the cat tries to answer. . The little white bunny comes to the conclusion that when a friend has died, they have become the garden we live in. The toast bunny is there with them though they cannot see him.

The lovely pastel illustrations reveals at the end how they are still all together. It is difficult to find an alternative way at looking at death and grief. The author has done a superb job of doing that.

This children's book was impactful and sweet. It talks about death and life in a beautiful way. I loved the illustrations. It was both adorable and sad. Life and death can be complicated situations to explain to a child and I think this book did a wonderful job.

This is a sweet little children's book about grief and what happens when someone passes away. I think it could help families explain to younger kids what emotions and thoughts they are having during that time. The illustrations are also eye catching and beautiful.

Thank you to Sheila Heti, Tundra Books, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kind, sweet, and gentle words with wispy, subtle yet colorful drawings pulled me right into the world of “a soft little bunny, “a bunny the color of toast,” “and a rose and buttercream-colored cat.” This is a wonderful children’s book dealing with hard questions about life and death, and about relationships. The precious critters are pondering all of this in comforting, sweet, and gentle ways.

The illustrations are done in watercolors, gouache, colored pencil, and collage. Each art-filled page deserves pondering while navigating the meanings and depth of this story.

Age Range: 4-8 years

Poor toast-colored bunny. He's no sooner introduced than he passes away from a mystery illness. But his dear friends who lived with him in a most gorgeously whimsical garden, they remember him. Little bunny, in particular, wonders where her friend has gone. She asks her older, wiser friend, the rose-and-buttercream-colored cat, why every creature who lives must die. Together the friends work it out, allowing little bunny and the cat to navigate grief and comfort one another. The illustrations are incredibly sweet in this picture book that deals with death in a forthright manner, no mention of religion. 

[Thanks to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy of this book.]

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the ARC of this!

What a serious, sad, and hopeful little picture book about the nature of death. My 5 year old was pretty horrified that a character pretty much immediately dies and is buried, but he really loved the cat and bunny and their conversations about life and loss. The art was interesting and the bunny was so cute!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for allowing me an early galley of this book.

It feels serendipitous that I read this book today, with people close to me losing loved ones who are close to them. This book is stunning.
The illustrations are GORGEOUS. When I say I have never seen illustrations so impressive, I mean it. And I have read a lot of picture books in my time.
But the simplicity and the clarity of the writing. The open-endedness of the philosophy, theology and beliefs of it all— the entire book is gentle, is soft, is clear but also willing to let you have some room to make your own choices about what things mean.
I did not expect this much from this book, lemme tell ya. That'll teach me.
Absolutely stunning, and will 110% make sure my nieces own this book when it comes out.

This was a beautiful & engaging book and I cannot help but recommend that everyone take a look at this title.

Gently addresses [sudden] death through familiar questions; the accepting of the unknown. The art is beautiful and some creatures are pleasurably offbeat. Will make a gorgeous book but maybe could use some more variation in scenes-- they all started to look the same after a bit.

A very sweet and beautiful children's book about death and loss. That I felt approached it in a very good way and tackled a lot of the thoughts I recall having when my great grandmother passed when I was younger.