Rick and Stella January have enjoyed over 40 years of marriage raising children, making a home, and pursuing professional and personal careers. The January’s were raised in small town/rural environments in Kansas and hold strong family and moral values. Rick January has spent nearly 40 years as a chemist in a variety of industries. When not writing stories or working as a chemist, Rick likes go participate in racing and performance driving events as a driver or a worker/volunteer. Stella January has worked all her adult life as a mom and homemaker, but at times has added on titles of “fund raiser” and “supervisor” to help support her husband and family. For the past decade Stella has focused on her love of arts and crafts, and of gardening. Perhaps it should be no surprise that Stella’s talents at art and at gardening have become the source of ideas for the stories now in publication or being created by Rick. And to complete the circle, Rick has once again turned back to Stella to illustrate their first book.

Reviewed by Kristie I. for Readers' Favorite

"Come Out to The Garden," written by Rick January and illustrated by Stella January, tells the story of picking and enjoying fresh vegetables. Granny and Mary Louise spend time together picking vegetables out in the garden and also in the shaded yard. After picking the vegetables, they cook the vegetables and enjoy having a feast together. Contented, Granny and Mary Louise sit out in the sun and think about their harvest and look forward to it the next day as well.

Written in rhyme, this book is a cute story to share with children to teach the value of hard work and the rewards that result when having a garden. Granny and Mary Louise spend time together harvesting the vegetables they have planted and enjoy eating them together. This book would be great to share with children after planting a garden as it will encourage them to continue to maintain it and it will build their anticipation for the harvest. This book is a great learning tool as well since the vegetables in Granny and Mary Louise's garden are described with details such as how they grow and the vegetables' appearance when they are ready to be harvested. And the illustrations are very well done as they are realistic. The book concludes with pictures of the vegetables that Granny and Mary Louise grow and they are clearly identified; therefore, children will be able to learn to identify various vegetables as well. This book is a treasure for anyone who would like to introduce the concept of gardening to his or her children.