It’s certainly no sophomore slump for author Jordan Scott’s second children’s book: My Baba’s Garden by Jordan Scott.
My Baba’s Garden Review
A boy spends his mornings and afternoons with his Baba (grandmother). The personal connection they share despite a language barrier is obvious. Perhaps this boy is the same as the one from I Talk Like a River who has a stutter and his grandmother learning English, being a native Polish speaker. Jordan Scott’s deft poet hand weaves specific details that reveal a deeply creative boy and a fascinating, dynamic character in Baba. The grandmother sings as she cooks and kisses any food that may fall from a plate before replacing it on the plate. She also walks slowly through the rain to look for worms for her garden. When she can no longer live alone, things change for both Baba and the boy, but the boy has been watching and learning from her, knowing just what to do to make her happy.
This is Scott and illustrator Sydney Smith’s second collaboration, and the spreads are as filled with detail and emotion as the text. The simple lines of the faces allows the reader to fill in the blanks with their own thoughts that somehow create more detail through omission. This duo is quickly becoming one of my favorite author/illustrator pairs. The deeply personal connections that their work pushes readers to make to their own lives through the personal stories they weave through their verses and paintings, is something that will make this story stick with readers of all ages.
Conclusion
This story’s many poetic turns including the repetition of sounds and the plethora of figurative language would be enough to make this a perfect read for any poetry study. The story behind the verses and the supporting illustrations will leave not a dry eye amongst its adult readers, and is the perfect book for any study involving relationships or grandparents. My Baba’s Garden by Jordan Scott is a must add book for all children’s libraries with primary grades especially second through fifth grade will delight in this book.
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