Costa’s Garden (Costa Georgiadis, illus Brenna Quinlan, ABC Books)

Costa’s Garden follows an illustrated Costa Georgiadis as he shares his expansive garden and flowers with a group of children, encouraging them to see the world in a new way. With their ‘nature goggles’ on, he shows them that ‘the world is so much bigger’. Throughout the book, he explores various types of flowers and their different uses in life, such as in funerals, for tea, and in competitions and shows. Georgiadis also reflects on his personal relationship with flowers, particularly those his grandparents used to grow. As a landscape architect best known for hosting Gardening Australia and Gardening Australia Junior, Georgiadis’s expertise shines as he shares interesting facts and insights in this first book in a new series. Brenna Quinlan’s vibrant and colourful illustrations of flora and fauna, along with her cute depictions of Costa and the children, blend seamlessly with the layout and story to form a beautiful kaleidoscope of flowers and gardens. While the book’s narrative can feel somewhat repetitive at times, Costa’s Garden is a wonderful read for parents, teachers and librarians to enjoy with children aged 4+. It could also serve as inspiration for kids to explore their own gardens or to create one of their own.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Bohdi Byles is a queer, Indigenous freelance reviewer with a background in bookselling, library work, publishing and writing. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Category: Friday Unlocked reviews Reviews