From the gorgeous watercolor paintings of the lovely garden and its adorable animal inhabitants to the simple rhymes, this book has plenty to offer preschoolers. The query of "whose garden is it?" fits perfectly with the questioning mind of a three-year-old and the explanations - by not only the gardener and animals, but also the plants, sun and rain - provide numerous possible answers. Kids will recognize the various animals and find it humorous that the creatures are dressed in clothes. The text flows from one page to the next thanks to simple rhymes and creates a melodic sound that will help keep kids interested in the story.

Hearing the animals plead their case regarding why the garden belongs to them gives the children a basic nature lesson, including how sunlight and rain make plants grow or that bees and butterflies pollinate the flowers. The final page in the book asks the reader to guess to whom the garden belongs, which allows children the chance to voice their opinions. If your child seems especially interested in the gardening part of the story, perhaps you can start a small garden for them to plant a few flowers or vegetables.

When I turned to the page featuring a bunny dressed up like a ballerina, Emily, the three-year-old I babysit, shouted out, "Bunny has tutu!" She also noticed that the sunshine and tree had faces and it's the little details like that, which makes this book so special.

--Abby