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Reviewed by Diana Lopez for Readers' Favorite
Dealing with the loss of a loved one is complicated, and accompanying children through this process requires special care. Our Garden of Friendship by Jennifer Rogers is about two best friends, Maya and Ava. They love playing in the park, so they agree to have a picnic. But when the day arrives, Maya's mom hugs her and explains that Ava is gone and won't be coming back. The little girl then goes through a difficult time and sinks into deep sadness. However, a few days later, she sees a red cardinal and follows it to a sunflower. In that moment, she feels that her friend is present, which gives her hope again. She then goes to her mom with the idea of creating a garden in the park dedicated to Ava. Her mother supports her idea. So, with effort and dedication, Maya embarks on the project to honor her friend.
Our Garden of Friendship: Growing After the Loss of a Friend delicately addresses a sensitive topic. Jennifer Rogers shows us different moments in Maya's life. We see her playing, getting ready for the picnic, crying over her friend, and, above all, slowly moving forward in her recovery process. I liked that the narrative was easy to read, with short sentences and simple language, allowing children to practice reading independently. The illustrations by Lucia Benito reflect emotions very well: rainy days when Maya is sad, and colorful scenes when she is working on her project. I also found the concept of the garden to be a helpful idea for children to channel their emotions. A nice touch at the end is a section with steps for creating a garden, with suggestions for easy-to-grow flowers.
