TINY GARDEN Blooms Soon!

Publication Date is March 3rd!

Dear Friends,

I am over the moon that Tiny Garden, with stunning illustrations by Jax Chow, is almost here!

A picture book’s journey can be a long one. Going back through my files, I see a draft of the manuscript from February, 2022. It was acquired by Abrams in May of 2023, and from there had a downright speedy voyage through the production process. (I mean, relatively speedy; I’m currently reviewing illustrations for a book that was acquired in 2020 and won’t be out till next year. This career is not one for the impatient.)

In Tiny Garden, Andrew finds the huge gardens on his block overwhelming. So he plants a tiny garden.

He waters. He watches. He waits. And soon, a tiny, perfect, jewel box of a garden appears.

As Andrew continues to watch, tiny creatures, overwhelmed by the wideness of the world, find the garden and, relieved, settle into this place that’s just right for them.

Unfortunately, some grown-ups can be a little dim. I’m sorry to say that even at the end of the book, the neighbor still doesn’t see the point. But, as Andrew says…

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I don’t know about you, but I’ve been feeling more than a little overwhelmed myself lately. And I’ve been finding much solace in my own garden these days.

As many of you know, I became a gardener myself at the beginning of the pandemic. Not intentionally: I just wanted to stop the monthly weed-hacking-and-herbicide-spraying in the backyard of the apartment building where I live. But somehow pulling weeds turned into mulching and planting and now, a sizable, largely-native garden.

In these times when the world feels so out of control, and so much blatant cruelty is afoot, I can’t tell you how much comfort I take from caring for a little piece of the earth. Making it a sanctuary for birds, bees, butterflies, moths, earthworms, and even my occasional gopher resident keeps me sane.

The importance of community is becoming more clear to me in these times, and community starts at home—maybe in a backyard. Every tiny thing we can do to make the world better counts: for the people and animals around us, for the planet, and for ourselves.

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In its starred review of Tiny Garden, Kirkus Reviews says, “Underwood’s sweet story valorizes “little things” and the true gardener’s intoxication with the earth. Chow’s illustrations are brilliant…A tiny delight that celebrates patience, Zen-like focus, and appreciation for the small things.”

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books also gave it a star: “This soft story celebrates quiet, gentle kiddos, and Andrew gorgeously encapsulates what it looks like to be soft-spoken yet steadfastly oneself.”

I so hope you’ll enjoy this book, whether you buy it or get it from your library. Preordering helps the book find its way, so if you’re able to do that, I’d be so grateful.

If you do plan to order a copy, please patronize your local bookseller, or order through bookshop.org. Buying through them helps keep them in business, helps your community, and helps authors.

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And since Valentine’s Day approaches, Cat wanted me to remind you that Here Comes Valentine Cat is a fun, funny read-aloud to celebrate the season, and it sneaks in a message about how our initial judgments of others who are unlike us can be very, very mistaken. Which seems like another timely theme.

I hope you are well and taking good care of yourself, and that you’re doing what you can to make the world kinder and protect those who most need protection. May we all have Andrew’s patient and unshakable resolve. And I hope that time in nature—whether your own garden or elsewhere—rejuvenates and inspires you.

Warmly,

Deborah (and Bella, of course)