The Secret Gardens of Frances Hodgson Burnett
"Beauties blossom aplenty in this welcome volume. The Secret Gardens of Frances Hodgson Burnett can't fail to captivate the minds and hearts of young readers and even, perhaps, plant some seeds there."--Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked, co-founder of Children's Literature New England
★ "The gray drudgery of industrial Manchester, England, contrasts with the vivid floral hues of Burnett's gardens in stunning illustrations that perfectly pair with the book's timeless message: 'hope is never far for those who can imagine.'"--Foreword Reviews, Starred Review
Secret gardens, hidden gates, flowering passageways. A picture book biography of Frances Hodgson Burnett's winding and captivating life.
Frances Hodgson Burnett--best known for writing The Secret Garden, Little Lord Fauntleroy, and The Little Princess--had a difficult childhood, losing her father when she was very young and moving with her family from England to Tennessee in hopes of a better life.
She'd been making up stories her entire life but didn't try to write professionally until she was a teenager to help feed her family. Her first submissions to a magazine were published and she eventually became well known all over the world.
This is Hodgson Burnett's life story, told in lyrical prose evoking some of the same magic of her own stories.
Additional accolades:
"Burnett's own rags-to-riches story is compelling, too. The distinctive illustrations bring her gardens to life on the page through the graceful forms and rich, varied colors of trees, bushes, vines, and flowers....the theme of gardens as a source of beauty and healing is evident throughout this engaging biographical narrative."--Booklist
"I am delighted to think that this lovely picture book will encourage children (and indeed their parents) to read The Secret Garden, one of the best children's books ever written."--Ann Thwaite, prize-winning British biographer, author of Beyond the Secret Garden: The Life of Frances Hodgson Burnett
"Burnett's The Secret Garden is known to many, but the beautifully written and illustrated The Secret Gardens of Frances Hodgson Burnett introduces her extraordinary life to young readers, and will inspire them to create gardens of their own." --Gretchen Holbrook Gerzina, Award-winning Author of Frances Hodgson Burnett: A Life, Professor of English, Paul Murray Kendall Chair in Biography, University of Massachusetts
"Angelica Carpenter tells the full and inspiring story of Frances Hodgson Burnett's ever- changing life - through hardships and fame - which she faced with her indomitable spirit and her love of words. Beyond the biographical details is a wealth of information. As the pages turn and the years pass, Helena Perez Garcia's detailed and glorious illustrations of bright bursting flowers and color are like a walk through a dazzling sunlit garden. The story and pictures reflect the undaunted spirit of a born writer who solved any problem with words and imagination." --Aliki, beloved author/illustrator of more than fifty books for children
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Helena Pérez García is a Spanish illustrator whose work has appeared across magazines, newspapers, packaging, and books for children and adults internationally. Her illustrations are conceptual, whimsical, and rich in detail and color. Helena's primary medium is gouache, and her main sources of inspiration are art, literature, and cinema. After completing a fine arts degree in Spain, Helena relocated to London in 2012, where she lived and worked for six years. During this period, and driven by the artistic history and cultural influences of the city and the country, Helena developed her characteristic style. She relocated to Madrid in 2018, where she is currently based. Some of her clients include Penguin Random House, The Body Shop, Tate Publishing, The Financial Times, Reader's Digest, and Il Corriere della Sera, amongst many others.
"Beauties blossom aplenty in this welcome volume. The Secret Gardens of Frances Hodgson Burnett can't fail to captivate the minds and hearts of young readers and even, perhaps, plant some seeds there."--Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked, Co-founder of Children's Literature New England
"I am delighted to think that this lovely picture book will encourage children (and indeed their parents) to read The Secret Garden, one of the best children's books ever written."--Ann Thwaite, prize-winning British biographer, author of Beyond the Secret Garden: The Life of Frances Hodgson Burnett
"Burnett's The Secret Garden is known to many, but the beautifully written and illustrated The Secret Gardens of Frances Hodgson Burnett introduces her extraordinary life to young readers, and will inspire them to create gardens of their own." --Gretchen Holbrook Gerzina, Award-winning Author of Frances Hodgson Burnett: A Life, Professor of English, Paul Murray Kendall Chair in Biography, University of Massachusetts
"Angelica Carpenter tells the full and inspiring story of Frances Hodgson Burnett's ever- changing life - through hardships and fame - which she faced with her indomitable spirit and her love of words. Beyond the biographical details is a wealth of information. As the pages turn and the years pass, Helena Perez Garcia's detailed and glorious illustrations of bright bursting flowers and color are like a walk through a dazzling sunlit garden. The story and pictures reflect the undaunted spirit of a born writer who solved any problem with words and imagination." --Aliki, beloved author/illustrator of more than fifty books for children
"Frances Hodgson Burnett's life, though thorned with tragedy, blooms within this inspirational picture book. The real-life inspirations for Burnett's most famous works, including A Little Princess and The Secret Garden, are revealed alongside details of her childhood, when her imagination sustained her through hardships. The gray drudgery of industrial Manchester, England, contrasts with the vivid floral hues of Burnett's gardens in stunning illustrations that perfectly pair with the book's timeless message: 'hope is never far for those who can imagine.'"--Foreword Reviews
"Born in England 1849, Frances Hodgson Burnett was an imaginative child who loved gardens and disliked the smoky city where her family lived until their store failed and they moved to Tennessee. With no work available, 15-year-old Frances started a school where she taught children to read. She also wrote fiction and submitted manuscripts to magazines and book publishers. She married several times and raised two sons, though one died at 15. During her lifetime, her adult novels were popular, but she's now remembered mainly for her children's books, including The Secret Garden (1911) and A Little Princess (1905). Carpenter traces the life of a writer whose books may be unfamiliar to young children, yet Burnett's own rags-to-riches story is compelling, too. The distinctive illustrations bring her gardens to life on the page through the graceful forms and rich, varied colors of trees, bushes, vines, and flowers. While the back matter offers a time line and additional facts, the theme of gardens as a source of beauty and healing is evident throughout this engaging biographical narrative."--Booklist
