In a Garden

From the tiniest of seeds that “sits beneath a millipede” to a large crowd of fireflies flying through the air, In a Garden displays a myriad of life forms surrounding a garden, in a celebration of nature through all its seasons. The focus weighs more heavily towards bugs and critters found in the garden, such as slugs, ants, and roly-polies, than it does on the plants in the garden, though the plants are labeled in the illustrations. While the text mentions of newborn flowers, buds emerging, and falling leaves, the true highlights are the details like searching for the camouflaged bugs in the tree, an underground view at the worms and bugs in the soil, and the bees with pollen sticking to their heads and feet. The fanciful serif font seems too formal for the more casual illustrations but highlights the elaborate beauty of even the simplest views of nature, exponentially amplified through the gorgeous cadence that trips effortlessly off the tongue like a lullaby. With very little story, the book in its entirety is slightly forgettable, making the most memorable aspects the soothing flow of the text and the colorful bursts of nature in the illustrations.