SAVING DELICIA
A Story about Small Seeds and Big Dreams
By: Laura Gehl
Illustrated by: Patricia Metola
Published: April 9, 2024
Publisher: Flyaway Books
Fiction
Gehl and Metola first teamed up on the children’s book APPLE AND MAGNOLIA, a beautiful story of friendship between a young girl and the trees in her backyard. The fictional tree in this story, the delicia tree, bears the most juicy fruit and the best shade in the summer. However, it is threatened by blight, a disease that attacks plants. Kari is determined to save her delicia tree and begins a special project to do just that.
Kari and Old Otis like to sit under the tree eating the delicious fruit and sharing stories. Soon, Old Otis warns Kari of the likely disease affecting their favorite tree. Kari remembers Old Otis telling of his grandmother saving seeds and sharing them with anyone who needed them.
Kari does her research and begins saving the seeds from the delicia fruit. Even though there is only one delicia tree now, maybe someday there will be many delicia trees and fruit to share with everyone.
Metola’s art seems to use a mixture of formats including markers and watercolors. But, the combination makes for joyful illustrations that pop on the pages. Laura Gehl takes a big idea, the dying of trees and plants due to disease, insects, or the changing climate, and makes it understandable and relatable to kids. The heartwarming story of a girl and her favorite tree will encourage your child to care for plants and maybe they will even want to start their own neighborhood seed garden.
The author shares facts about the Global Seed Bank housed near the North Pole. She also encourages readers to check out their local library as many have started their own seed libraries for check out.
Laura Gehl is a former science teacher who still loves getting kids excited about science and nature . . . now through her books. She’s written more than forty books for young readers, including the Baby Scientist board book series, Odd Beasts, Odd Birds, Who Is a Scientist?, Apple and Magnolia, Who Dug This Hole?, and Climate Warriors. Gehl lives with her husband and four kids in Chevy Chase, Maryland, where she enjoys observing and exploring in the woods near her home. Visit Laura at lauragehl.com.
Check out these books I’ve loved by Laura Gehl, HERE.
| Patricia Metola is the illustrator of more than twenty books in Europe and the United States. Her artwork for Laura Gehl’s Apple and Magnolia was called “exuberant” by Kirkus Reviews. She lives in Madrid, Spain. |
To purchase a copy of SAVING DELICIA, click HERE.
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Posted Under Book Review, Children's books, fiction, Laura Gehl, Patricia Metola, trees