  | Weedy garden : a happy habitat for wild friends Author: Renkl, Margaret | |
| Price: $23.98 | ||
Summary:
A weedy backyard garden becomes a vibrant ecosystem that is home to an impressive array of plants and animals for any child patient enough to observe it.
| Illustrator: | Renkl, Billy |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (12/15/25)
Booklist (01/01/26)
Full Text Reviews:
Other - 01/12/2026 A bumblebee, snake, squirrel, speckled toad, and more take up space in the "weedy garden" celebrated in this elegant picture book from sibling team the Renkls. Poetic, frequently alliterative second-person lines offer concise lyrical profiles: "If you’re a green hummingbird glinting and gleaming... you dance at the first glad glimpse of trumpet vine." Immersive full-bleed spreads lend a diorama-like feel to jam-packed digital scenes that display vintage-looking species cut-outs and emphasize fauna’s natural camouflage. A goldfinch plays "hide-and-seek among the black-eyed Susans," an earthworm tunnels "between the weedy roots," and flowers keep a cottontail rabbit’s presence secret ("You push back leaves, nudge tufts of soft fur. While the hawk sleeps, you nestle your babies"). As more and more beings enjoy their treats ("Strawberries!"), a friendly message of creaturely community is conveyed to a final presented species-a pale-skinned human "child sitting still in the clover." Back matter includes more about the highlighted animals. Ages 4-8. (Feb.) - Copyright 2026
Booklist - 01/01/2026 Beneath the layered canopies of a lush backyard garden, wildflowers nourish the creatures that call this place home. Renkl’s arresting mixed-media and collage illustrations showcase a wide variety of plants, some sharp in lines and deep in color, others soft and muted, as though they could be peeled back to reveal more of this hidden world. Each double-page spread introduces a new garden creature (bees or butterflies, chipmunks or snakes) and postulates on their daily activities. The close-up renderings add to the feel of being shrunk down to the size of a squirrel or frog, or one of the other denizens of the weedy garden. The rich evocative language (“glimmering,” “gleaming”) paired with the second-person narration makes for a gentle read-together experience or a transitional book for readers gaining confidence. An afterword offers more details on the symbiotic existence of wildflowers and garden dwellers, including instructions for growing native plants in containers. The back matter also includes an overview of collage technique and guidelines for readers to make their own fantastic creations. - Copyright 2026 Booklist.
