Isabella's Garden

A lyrical picture book which explores the growth and continual change that goes on in Isabella s garden. Told with great warmth, this is a comforting story about the cycle of life in its many forms.

Following the well known structure of The House That Jack Built, Isabella s Garden tells the tale of growth and seasonal change, beginning and ending with the seeds that slept in the soil all dark and deep and how they bloom, flourish and ultimately lead to new growth.

• Glenda Millard s text bursts and blooms with life, and is beautifully complimented by Rebecca Cool s delightfully colourful and peaceful art.
• Glenda was inspired to write the story after an incident involving her mother-in-law, Isabelle. Isabelle was once a keen gardener but her eyesight was failing, and Glenda found her one day kneeling in the garden trying to feel if the daffodil bulbs were coming up. This greatly upset them both, and Glenda stared thinking about all the cuttings and potted plants Isabelle had grown and given away to other people. She remembered that the roses growing in her garden had been given the names of some of her loved ones who had passed away. She decided to write a story about a garden and the comfort that is had by understanding the cycle of life in its many forms
• Honour Book: Picture Book of the Year, Children s Book Council of Australia Awards 2010

About the Author

Glenda Millard was born in the Goldfields region of Central Victoria and has lived in the area all her life. It wasn t until Glenda's four children became teenagers that she began to write in her spare time. She has been writing full-time since 1999 and has published several books for children. Her first book with Walker Books Australia, Isabella s Garden, has been awarded Honour Book in the Picture Book of the Year category in the 2010 Children s Book Council of Australia Awards, and has won a Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Award, Best Book for Language Development, Lower Primary Category (5-8 years), 2010; and short-listed the Queensland Premier s Literary Awards Children s Book Mary Ryan Award, 2010.