We Are the Gardeners was such a fun read! It begins with the story of a well-loved fern, and tells the tale of a beautiful garden and the children who grew it. Come along with the Gaines family as they share their gardening journey. Learn about the critters who help the garden grow-- and those who eat it!

My kids and I loved the gorgeous illustrations and fun storyline, and we think you will too! This is a book we will definitely be adding to our library.

*I was provided a complimentary copy from NetGalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"Every hard thing we choose to do makes us braver for the next time."

A charming story told from the children's perspective about learning to grow a garden, and other lessons they picked up along the way. Love how the parents included the kids in planning and pointed them in the right direction, but let them do the work and gain confidence in themselves. Not giving up when things didn't go right, but starting over and learning from the experience, is such a good way to approach so many things. Great example of parenting there! The illustrations are lovely too.

This would be a nice gift for any child young enough to listen or old enough to do a project of their own.

(An e-book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.)

Joy of Family Gardening (review of We Are the Gardeners by Joanna Gaines and Kids)

Reviewer: Janice S. Garey

***** 5 Stars

This beautifully illustrated and delightfully told story of a family going through the ups and downs of learning to garden will inspire people of all ages to engage with plants. The family starts small scale with a potted fern from which they learn through failure to keep going on toward success by never giving up. Many life lessons are embedded in the story as the family pursues a beautiful and fruitful garden.

Most people are familiar with the Gaines family from their Fixer Upper show. This book will be successful based on that platform alone, but the book has so much more to offer than just pure celebrity appeal. With my background as a homeschool and church preschool teacher, I can envision using this book as a starting point for many learning projects that expand upon the book contents, in both the physical and spiritual realms. Life lessons abound within the story put to words. The illustrations help with teaching preschoolers the names of veggies and flowers, colors, quantities, and a variety of ways the young can help in the garden.

Children who are readers can enjoy the book at their learning level as they plan and anticipate good results from their efforts through multiple step processes. They will be thrilled with their own successfully planned and nurtured garden.

I think the book could even be used in a nursing home/assisted living setting where there is a community garden in which family members help oved ones participate in growing flowers.

I received a free ebook copy through NetGalley in exchange for reading and posting a review of the book. I am under no obligation to give a good review. I have since purchased a hard copy of this beautiful book for a friend. I think people at all levels and stages will benefit from this book's informative content and life lessons.

In Joanna Gaines' first children's book, We Are the Gardeners, the reader is introduced to the trials and triumphs of a family garden. From the first little fern that Chip gifted to his wife, to the full outdoor garden that it inspired, the Gaines family learns a number of lessons, both in gardening and in overcoming obstacles. This book is a sweet story about a gardening, working together as a family, and never letting failures define the journey. Whether you're looking to encourage a young gardener or just looking to help your children pick up from a set back, We Are the Gardeners would make a wonderful read.

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

We Are the Gardeners is the first book by Joanna Gaines and her children. This book tells the story of how the Gaines children became interested in gardening after their dad brought a fern home. The children began watering the fern multiple times a day and over time, the fern died. The children were disappointed but learned the important lesson of never giving up. This book takes illustrations to the next level. In true Magnolia style, this book is beautiful and worth purchasing for the artwork alone. I also loved the custom hand lettering that illustrator Julianna Swaney included throughout the book. I'm already a huge book lover as it is and books with aesthetic appeal just woo me. In addition to being a fun, beautifully illustrated read, We Are the Gardeners teaches children important life lessons. Some of the lessons seemed to be subtle references to Scripture. An example of this is, "A house can't be strong if it's built on something weak. . . " This reminded me of The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders. The pages about the importance of weeding a garden seemed to lightly reference The Parable of the Soils. I know Chip and Joanna Gaines are Christians so I believe this was intentional and I enjoyed it!