The Gardener of Alcatraz

The Gardener of Alcatraz is an engaging picture book that spotlights the redemption of Elliott Michener, a convicted counterfeiter. The lush illustrations done in gouache by Jenn Ely effectively demonstrate Elliott’s transformation from dreary, disheartened prisoner, to hopeful man.

This book is an appealing read for several reasons. The text is written in a friendly, easy to understand, and informative style. There are many interesting illustrations that work well to support the text. This is the story of Elliot Michener, a convicted printer of counterfeit money, was sent to prison at the notorious Alcatraz prison. Here he learned how to garden and the experience transformed his life forever. His love of gardening make him a better person. He was so trusted that he was promoted to work for the Warden and his wife in their home. So, what are we to think about this? Is this a lesson about how nurturing positive experiences is the answer to combatting crime? I'd like to think so, but there is no discussion of this. There is, instead, rich back matter that can be used to make a case. So as a teacher-educator, I would recommend this book to begin an inquiry about this. However, I would have also been interested in the author's thoughts about the implications of Michener's experience and helpful questions to think about this.

The Gardener of Alcatraz is a gem of a children's book! It is the biography of a prisoner, Elliot Michener, who was sent to Alcatraz for counterfeiting money. When he is presented with an ethical choice, Michener chooses honesty and is rewarded by being put to work in the gardens of Alcatraz. It is in the gardens that Michener finds new meaning to his life which moves his life in an unexpected direction.

As a Bay Area native, I knew nothing of Elliot Michener or the gardens of Alcatraz. The story is simple for young children but interesting enough for older ones. The illustrations are beautiful. I enjoyed this book very much with my 8 and 11 year olds sons. If you are looking for a children's biography with a great story and captivating illustrations, this is one you must definitely read. And the author's notes at the end add a lot of easy to digest information about the history of Alcatraz.

Thank you to NetGalley and Charlesbridge for gifting me an advance e-copy of this beautiful book. This review can also be found on IG @maria.needs.to.read and on Goodreads

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Gardener of Alcatraz is the true story of Elliot Michener and his time in Alcatraz. In spite of his past he became trusted enough by the guards to maintain the prison gardens.

This book was surprisingly sweet given the topic. The illustrations are very nice and help to give the book a more whimsical feel. I grew up in the Bay Area and have visited Alcatraz several times and was unfamiliar with Elliot’s story. I appreciate that the author included some background about Alcatraz and its history. It also takes a thoughtful look at the prison’s use of prisoner labor.

While some may find the topic unusual, I think that The Gardener of Alcatraz would make a great addition to any school or homeschool library.

When you think of Alcatraz, what do you think of? The movie Escape from Alcatraz? How Al Capone was sent there? How Native Americans took over the island in the 1960s?

This picture book is an aspect of Alcatraz that we don't usually think of, the gardens that were built there. This is the story of the first prisoner gardener, Elliot Michener, who was at the prison for counterfeiting.

It is actually a sweet story, despite being about a prison, because we see in the picture book how slowly he brings colors to the gray island, and in learning how to garden, he also learns a trade he can use when he gets out of prison.

The picture book goes over the basic story of how it happened, with wonderful colorful pictures of the gardens he worked on. The back matter of the book explains what things they changed to make the book work, which was surprisingly very little. There really was a prisoner Elliot Michener, who gardened for the prison. And who didn't go back to counterfeiting when he finally got out, but instead continued to use his gardening skills.

We also learn that the park service has restored the gardens that he worked on to their former glory, now that Alcatraz is a state park.
<em>Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. </em>

As a gardener, I loved this book. Proves that you can build a garden with determination, a shovel, research and perseverance.

Elliott Michener was caught counterfeiting and ended up at one of the toughest prisons in the US at the time. He was assigned to some menial jobs but with some honesty he obtained a gardening position (without any prior experience) and turned the island of Alcatraz from a rocky barren wasteland to a colorful and beautiful place where garden restoration has been revitalized in 2003.

Loved the story line (intended for children ages 7-10) and also the detailed pages at the end probably intended for parents, but likely children will read as their vocabulary grows.

Illustrations by Jenn Ely are beautiful and are likely to keep readers engaged.

Thank you to NetGalley, Emma Bland Smith the author, Jenn Ely the illustrator and Charlesbridge the publisher for the opportunity to review the advance read copy of The Gardener of Alcatraz in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for finding and sharing this wonderful (based on actual events) story. Publication date is Apr 5, 2022.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
This kids book is so great! It shows how important it is for inmates to find something meaningful to do while they do their time behind bars. Things like this give the inmates a positive purpose.
The Alcatraz history and pictures is interesting too.

This book covers a lot of topics. I am sometimes asked for books about incarceration, so I will add this to the list. The book will also be of interest to patrons interested in the history of Alcatraz, San Francisco Bay Area tourist attractions, stories about growth and change, and gardening. The bibliography at the back also had helpful information for further learning.

This will equally appeal to adults and children. The artwork is beautiful.

This is my new favorite children’s nonfiction book. I love this story- the empathy and kindness and hope that fuels every page. My heart was pierced by the language and illustrations. What an important book!

The Gardener of Alcatraz by Emma Bland Smith tells the story of Elliott Michener, who was sent to prison because he printed counterfeit money. Elliott initially wanted to try to escape prison, but decided it would be better if he was a model prisoner. One day when he was working on the prison grounds, he discovered a key. He turned the key in and was seen as being honest and trustworthy. The people at the prison decides that Elliott could help with the gardens. He created beautiful gardens. After a few years, he started working at the Warden’s home. He was eventually sent to a lower security prison and released on good behavior. He married and continued to work in gardening/ landscaping. The garden helped transform Elliott and the gardens. There is also a historic of Alcatraz and the gardens.
This would be a good book to have on hand for counselors who work with children who may have family members who are incarcerated. It shows that Elliott changed while he was in prison, learned new skills, and eventually led a happy fulfilled life out of prison.

Truly awesome story. The illustrations were beautiful. My homeschooler and I thought the story was uplifting and we loved that the gardens are still there today. Thank you NetGalley!

Such a wholesome book! I am totally in love. 'The Gardener of Alcatraz' masterfully written by Emma Bland Smith focuses on positivity, hope, astonishing twists and turns of life as well as the long-lasting, healing effects of plants and friendships. We follow Elliott Michener who is on his way to Alcatraz as a prisoner for counterfeiting. He had almost perfected his escape plan when fate took charge and he found himself on a different path. The more he spent time in caring for the plants in Alcatraz, the more meaningful his life became. In the end, Alcatraz turned out to be his savior changing his life for good. The illustrations are gorgeous and realistic depicting many different emotions precisely. It also conveys relevant information on Alcatraz and the history behind its formation. I just can't get enough. It is emotionally engaging and uplifting. A must read.

Heartiest gratitude to Netgalley and the author for providing me an e-copy in exchange of honest opinion.

This was an interesting story about a real prisoner from Alcatraz (Elliott Michener) and the gardens that changed his life. I like that getting assigned to the gardens started with him making a choice to return a lost key and that the small decision he made lead to massive changes in his life. Someday, I would like to go visit the gardens and walk in Elliott's foot steps and try to see the beauty he saw.
I thought the timelines and history provided at the end of the book were interesting as well.

What an amazing story!!! I had never heard this story and it was really enjoyable to read about how making and tending a garden changed a mans life and this book will be good to show whomever is reading it that it IS possible to change a bad behavior to a good one and that just because you've done something wrong in the past does not mean that needs to define you your whole life.

This is lovingly illustrated and the illustrations just add to the story and brings it to life with all the colors of the flowers against the gray of the prisons.

A must read for anyone who loves history and a little known feel good story. Well done!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Emma Bland Smith, Jenn Ely [Illustrator], and Charlesbridge for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Certainly a different book but in a good way! Really cool book with a cool, different story! Liked the artwork as well!

Wow! I loved this book so much. The colorful illustrations on the cover and the catchy title are what drew me to this book. I was very curious to read it because I would never have guessed I would see the words Alcatraz and gardener in the same sentence.

Looking back on my childhood and days as an elementary school teacher, I can say that both the cover and title definitely will draw many little readers to it as well. The author tells the story of Elliot Michner in a way that is easy for children to understand while still being informative. I also think little readers will enjoy seeing the illustrations and colors literally change from dull to full of color as Elliot changes his life for the better.

While the intended audience is children, I found this book to be very engaging and educational even for adults. Before reading this biography, I hadn't ever heard of Elliot Michener or even known there are gardens at Alcatraz. However, I think what I found most impressive is that I found the book and Elliot's story to be quite touching and didn't really expect to feel so sad when it came to an end.

Truly, this is a beautiful book and is worth having in your library.

As someone who has always been fascinated with Alcatraz and who has worked in the prison system, I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Gardener of Alcatraz: A True Story by Emma Bland Smith. The story focuses on a prisoner’s journey to freedom which focuses on transformation and growth. Beautifully written and illustrated. Highly recommended. #TheGardenerofAlcatraz #NetGalley

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. The true story of an inmate at Alcatraz turned into a great gardener.

How interesting!!! Wonderful redemption story. I had heard of the gardener of Alcatraz but that was all I knew. This book tells about the bad things he did and how he turned his life around.

An unexpected story of the famous Alcatraz prison' flowerbeds, How a prisoner turned his life of being a bad person into one of those amazing gardeners. Heartwarming and encouraging, the true story does move me. That anyone can change into a good person they're meant to be.

This was such a lovely inspiring story as well as being extremely interesting for someone fascinated by Alcatraz. It is beautifully illustrated and left me with a heart warming feeling and will go back to this when I want to be lifted. This is a story which can be enjoyed by children and adults with a wonderful message.

Picture books seldom address prison at all, much less alternative theories of incarceration and rehabilitation. In telling the story of Elliot Michener, though, Smith has done exactly that. We see both the healing power of nature and the positive affects of finding purpose and fulfillment in a person's life. The narrative is easy enough to follow and is accompanied by cheerful and expressive illustrations. The underlying messages are a bit deeper and give an older child ideas of social justice and the implications of the carceral system to reflect upon

'The Gardener of Alcatraz' by Emma Bland Smith with illustrations by Jenn Ely is the true story of Elliott Michener in picture book format.

When Elliott Michener was caught counterfeiting and sent to Alcatraz, all he could think about was escaping. What happened instead was an opportunity that transformed his life and the island around Alcatraz.

I loved this story of hope and beauty and a man who truly changed his life. The illustrations are also fabulous. The story is followed by a brief biography with pictures.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Charlesbridge and NetGalley. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

I absolutely loved this book and plan on purchasing for my classroom as soon as possible! The story centers around Elliott Michener, who was arrested for counterfeiting and sent to Alcatraz prison. He was bound and determined to bust out and escape, however he learned that he has a unique skill of gardening. With his knowledge, he transformed Alcatraz prison and many of the gardens that the planted still exist today (others are being replanted and fixed).
This book has wonderful illustrations that captivate the reader. The story is very unique and, of course, I love when stories like this include more nonfiction details and pictures after the story. Very well done!