The ultimate book for gardeners and lovers of flora everywhere, A Gardener’s Alphabet is a gorgeous alphabet book with hand-colored woodcut illustrations, interesting vocabulary, and gentle concepts for early readers. Author and artist Mary Azarian uses her own love of gardens to show the user the many different things that can be found in the yard; in fact, she used her own garden as inspiration for the book.

Both vegetables and flowers are vibrantly illustrated in the book, as well as the smiling gardeners, their children (or grandchildren), and their own love of the gardening life. Each letter of the alphabet highlights a special part of gardening—from arbor to bulbs to xeriscape. Other letters cover topics from Japanese gardens to compost, Queen Anne’s Lace to Dig, Nibble to lawn ornaments and even kitchen garden.

These are all excellent concepts that many children are not introduced to. In fact, adults may even learn from the illustrations and vocabulary words. It’s also a great break from the usual “A is for Apple” we always end up reading somehow.

One complaint that I’ve heard regarding the book is its lack of diversity within the human pictures. It’s true—the author only features white people in the illustrations. However, I wouldn’t let that deter you from the book; there are other books, after all, that feature only Asian people (such as in the case of Roseanne Thong’s excellent books) or other single ethnicities, and that’s fine. This book might be singled out because of it’s universal message (it’s not about mooncakes or Chinese New Year, after all), but it does come from the author’s own garden and experiences. Perhaps the images are those of her own family.

At any rate, though I know there’s an abundance of white character books, we like to include books of people of all colors in our library and this is a favorite.

With its loving depictions of gorgeous flowers, vegetables, bugs and gardening supplies, it’s no wonder the book won a 2000 Parent’s Choice Silver Honor Award. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for a great alphabet primer book, and it may just become your favorite. The book is intended for ages five to eight, but its pictures make great storytelling fodder for younger kids, too. I’m sure older kids, though already familiar with the alphabet, would even learn something—or at least delight in the art featured in the book.