A Garden of Creatures is a story which takes on the topic of death and what happens when someone dies. In the story, a bunny got sick and dies pretty quickly. The bunny is buried by the child who loved it, but the animals had questions about what happens to the bunny now. The book is very direct with the death itself and does not use any euphemisms to describe the death. This can be beneficial for some children, especially a child with special needs who may not understand what that type of language means. The answers to the really tough questions that many people have about death and what happens afterwards are not really answered because no one knows what really happens when someone dies. The book explains that every creature that lives must die and it’s okay to miss those who die. The book also explains that death is not a punishment, which could be meaningful for children who think that people die because they did something wrong. If you are looking for a book on the afterlife or that follows a particular religious or spiritual belief system, this is not the book for you. There is no mention of heaven or a better place. It is about the acceptance that death is a natural part of life, that it is okay to miss someone who dies, and that every being leaves a trace of itself behind on earth. The heart keeps forever what it once loved. I believe this would be an excellent resource for a school counselor, children’s social worker, children’s counselor, etc because it deals with death without imposing a particular spiritual belief.

A Garden of Creatures is a very poignant children's story about the mystery of death. It's a beautiful story and the illustrations are amazing and stylized in a way that is both whimsical and dark. Very lovely book for a hard topic!

Thank you to netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book is visually stunning. I absolutely love the art style!! The story was really sweet and heartwarming. like other reviews have said, I agree that the death that the story surrounds was very sudden without much of a backstory/set up of characters. But still, I really love the discussion that the cat and bunny have about what happens after life!

grief, grieving, anthropomorphic, illustrated*****

What a wonderful and always timely book for all ages. Can be read anytime, but especially needed in times of personal grief. It is not directed toward any particular belief system but is a message of calm and love.
The illustrations are minimally abstract and with diverse but muted colors. Public libraries need a copy as well as households.
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Penguin Random House Canada/Tundra Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

The illustrations in this book are stunning; reminiscent of Van Gogh. The message is beautiful and takes such a complex topic that even adults struggle with and makes it accessible to children. The flow felt a little disjointed though. Otherwise a stellar childrens book!

This is a beautiful children’s book that goes through the grieving process after two creatures lose their friend. The little bunny is very sad and the rose and buttercream colored cat helps them through their feelings and answers all their questions about death the best they can. The illustrations are absolutely stunning and whimsical. The art style is just beautiful. I give this book a 4/5 star rating, I only knocked a star off because I think they jumped straight into the story too quickly and didn’t give much of a back story. All around beautiful book though!

This was a beautiful story about death and grieving without any religious undertones. The message was so sweet and well thought out. The illustrations are absolutely breathtaking, and really added to the calm aesthetic of the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Randomhouse Canada for a copy of A Garden of Creatures in exchange for my honest review!

A Garden of Creatures is a lovely children's picture book that guides a little bunny through what death is after experiencing the death of a friend. The illustrations of the animals and the gardens are beautiful with a very interesting style. While I wouldn't call them whimsical, they use pastel colors to illustrate vibrant gardens, which help ease young readers into the difficult material. I appreciated the approach to death not being focused on any specific religion. There is no mention of heaven, a better place, or reincarnation, but instead of being buried in the ground and memories keeping the person alive.

I did find the initial death to be very jarring. For young readers, I feel like more build up and softened language would be beneficial. The characters felt very disconnected in the story. I think this could be helped by naming them, instead of referring to them as "bunny" and "cat".

Overall, it is a cute book that deals with a difficult subject well.

#AGardenofCreatures #NetGalley

A Garden of Creatures is gorgeously illustrated picture book about a little bunny who lives in a garden with another bunny and a cat. When the bunny gets sick and dies, the little bunny is left to make sense of loss, death, and how we can still hold on to those we've lost in comforting ways. This is a very sweet, loving, and gentle tale that will help very young children understand death and how those that have moved on can still be with us. This is the most beautifully illustrated book I've seen in a while, and the characters are so adorable and charming that they will be comforting to most children.

This was so pretty. I loved the pictures throughout the book. I let my daughter look as well and she loved it.

I though the illustrations were beautiful. Even though I'm not a fan of the bearded old man look of the creatures, it is very memorable and unique. I though the prose was a little too blunt, I prefer more allegory in children's literature. But, it got its point straight across. I bet it looks amazing in print.

This was such a precious and tender book about death for children. I appreciated the comfort, honesty, and friendship portrayed in this book. I think this would be a great addition to any children's library, a helpful resource for parents seeking to help children understand the difficult parts of life.

This book is a beautiful way to explore what death means with children from a non-religious perspective. The illustrations are beautiful and peaceful and I can imagine this book being a great comfort to my students who have lost pets or family members. The idea of the earth being a garden of creatures will stay with me.

This was absolutely lovely. I was drawn to this book initially because of the author, Sheila Heti. Unsurprisingly, A Garden of Creatures is as poignant as her other works. Esmé Shapiro, whose work I was less familiar with, completely stole my heart with the amazing illustrations in this book. There's great whimsy to her work that may call to mind the work of Sendak (high praise!)

This is a book about grief. Initially, we are introduced to three animals who live together: two bunnies and a large cat. However, after one bunny falls sick, she soon dies. Bereft, the remaining bunny and cat find their grief manifests in dreams and ponder about what may have happened to their friend. They talk about what may come after death, how they miss their friend, and how those they miss live on in their memories and as they become one with the earth. These are deep topics for children handled with grace and beauty by both Heti & Shapiro.

Even though this seemed like a sad book, it was lovely in its depiction of friendship and loss. The pictures are great, too

I loved the illustrations in this book and the quiet way it deals with loss and grief. It isn't entirely new or fresh, but I think it would fit in an elementary collection beautifully and be useful for many kids.

A Garden of Creatures is a beautifully gentle book about grief and death. The language used is simple but profound, that all ages will benefit from reading this book. The artwork is unique and dreamlike. It does give me some soft Moomin vibes for some reason, which is nice. However, I wish there were discussion questions at the end for parents, educators, and general readers—overall a fantastic book.

A Garden of Creatures is a beautiful book by Sheila Heti with exquisite art by Esmé Shapiro that tackles issues of death and where do we go when we die with grace and tact. Whimsical bunnies and cats explain how we are all inextricably linked by what we don't and cannot know and how there is a beauty in that. I would absolutely recommend this book to any child I know, and I would encourage them to ask questions and feel all of their emotions however they see fit.

A really gentle and straightforward meditation on loss for kids. The story feels a bit like something I've read before, but I like that it doesn't do too much - there's a beautiful quietness to it. Esme Shapiro's illustrations are absolutely gorgeous as always.

This story is about two rabbits and a cat that live in a garden. Unfortunately, shortly after the story begins the older rabbit passes away. The young bunny has questions about death that she asks the older cat. She does not understand what happens after we die, or why people must die. The cat provides the little bunny with insights about how we are all the same and at some point, everyone asks the same questions.

The illustrations in this book are beautiful. Death is a difficult subject to understand, especially for younger children. It is often viewed as something traumatic and to be afraid of. This book explains death in a way that is simple enough for children to follow and portrays it in a beautiful way. It shows that death is a part of life, and something we all face. I appreciate that it explains that even though every living creature must eventually pass away, we can still leave our mark on the world.