The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver

Barretta uses the novel—for a picture book—approach of a flashback to share this important history of American inventor and scientist George Washington Carver. Initially placing Carver in a meeting with members of the United States Congress, where Carver is first disparaged before he enchants the representatives for over an hour with his knowledge of peanuts, Barretta flashes back to Carver’s childhood and highlights his trying but determined path to his position as a preeminent American inventor and scientist, bookending the history with Carver’s careful attention to his own secret flower gardens. Though there are numerous praiseworthy moments throughout—like Barretta’s detailing Carver’s unmatched influence through his traveling Jesup Agricultural Wagon, by which he visited thousands of farmers and shared helpful advice for maximizing crops and caring for livestock—the story fails to share either sufficient details about Carver’s ingenious work with peanuts or his lifelong love of flowers. It does succeed, however, in conveying the remarkable character of Carver, who “remained a humble man, always ready to serve humanity,” even after becoming a man of fame and honor. Morrison’s oil illustrations are full, detailed, and beautiful, fitting of Carver’s creed, which concludes the story: “Regard Nature. Rever Nature. Respect Nature.” For readers whose interest is piqued to learn more about Carver, Barretta includes a detailed timeline of Carver’s life, a bibliography, and suggestions for additional reading.