{"product_id":"the-weedy-garden-a-happy-habitat-for-wild-friends","title":"The Weedy Garden: A Happy Habitat for Wild Friends by Margeret Renkl","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis debut picture book from acclaimed and \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author Margaret Renkl--with collage illustrations by her brother, fine artist Billy Renkl--invites readers to observe and wonder about the various inhabitants in the vibrant ecosystem of a wildlife-friendly backyard garden. \u003cem\u003eFeatures backmatter. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you were hungry squirrel in the weedy garden, where would you find an acorn? If you were a cottontail rabbit, where would you hide your bunnies? And if you were a child, sitting still and listening, what would the weedy garden say to you?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMargaret Renkl, a beloved regular contributor to \u003cem\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/em\u003e and two-time recipient of the Southern Book Prize, writes beautifully about our changing natural world. In her debut picture book, she asks questions that draw young readers deeper and deeper into the garden, inviting observation and conversation along the way. Each page turn introduces a new plant or animal friend, buzzing and dancing with quiet wonder. The fine artist Billy Renkl, Margaret Renkl's brother and frequent collaborator, brings the weedy garden to life through his signature mixed-media collages. \u003cem\u003eIncludes backmatter with more information about the residents of the garden, eco-friendly gardening tips, and instructions on how to make your own collage art project at home or in school.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith evergreen themes of patience and respect for the natural world, \u003cem\u003eThe Weedy Garden \u003c\/em\u003ewill appeal to readers of \u003cem\u003ePlant the Tiny Seed, On Meadowview Street, \u003c\/em\u003eand Peter Brown's\u003cem\u003e The Curious Garden.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe natural world glows in these pages. . . this book pays attention to everything and reminds children to do the same. -\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMargaret Renkl invites readers to imagine themselves as different animals living among the thriving blooms. . . . Succinct text. . . results in a soothing read-aloud, with poetic, sensorial language brimming with vocabulary-boosting descriptors. The 'slender green snake' in a 'glimmering world' paints as vivid a picture as the splashy multi-media collaged art provided by Billy Renkl, the author's brother. Bursting with primary colors, his deeply layered floral extravaganza pops. . . . Linger over this exquisite garden filled with earthly delights. -\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRenkl'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. . . . The rich evocative language paired with the second-person narration makes for a gentle read together experience or a transitional book for readers gaining confidence. -\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eElegant. 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. -\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMargaret Renkl\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis the author of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year\u003c\/em\u003e, which won a 2024 Southern Book Prize and was a\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ebestseller as well as Reese's Book Club's 100th pick. Her earlier titles are\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eLate Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(2019), which won the Reed Environmental Writing Award in 2020; and\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eGraceland, at Last: Notes on Hope and Heartache from the American South\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e(2021), which won both the Southern Book Prize and the PEN\/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay in 2022. Since 2017, Renkl has served as a contributing opinion writer for the\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e, where her essays appear on Mondays. The founding editor of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eChapter 16,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003ea daily literary publication of Humanities Tennessee, and a graduate of Auburn University and the University of South Carolina, she lives in Nashville.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBilly Renkl\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis the illustrator of the picture book\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhen You Breathe\u003c\/em\u003e, by Diana Farid,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eand he contributed extensive artwork to two books by his sister, Margaret Renkl:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eLate Migrations\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Comfort of Crows\u003c\/em\u003e. He teaches both drawing and illustration at Austin Peay State University. His work as a fine artist has been featured in many solo and group exhibitions, including solo shows in New York, Nashville, Birmingham, and New Orleans. He lives in Clarksville, Tennessee.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45744739385530,"sku":"9780063432819","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0444\/2213\/5968\/files\/imageloader_0fd5267a-0e47-477f-94ea-a3890943c4cb.jpg?v=1774969692","url":"https:\/\/naturenurture.shop\/products\/the-weedy-garden-a-happy-habitat-for-wild-friends","provider":"nature+nurture","version":"1.0","type":"link"}