Zora's Garden by Rae Chesny

 

Title: Zora’s Garden

Author: Rae Chesny

Illustrations: Natalia Scabuso

Publisher: Junior Storyteller/Juniper Publishing House

ISBN: 9781953426208

 

Review:

Author Rae Chesny has created a lovely story for children that shares the childhood memories of Zora Neal Hurston. She was known as the “Queen of Harlem” for her writing. In this story, young readers will see the relationship Zora had with her mother and how she would tell stories to her as they worked in the garden. Together, Zora and her mother created a recipe for stories. 

When Zora’s mother passed away, she stopped writing. It was through the animals from the garden that she began to see that writing was her gift and she could still share her stories, in spirit, with her mom. She went on to become a very well-known author. In her later years, she ended up back at her childhood home and back in the garden telling her stories to her animal friends. 

Parents and teachers will love this story for children because it provides insight into a famed author and the experiences, she had growing up that cultivated her passion for writing. They can also start conversations about what they want to be when they grow up, use the questions on the back pages and even color the story page with Zora and her mother.