The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver
Illustrated by Frank Morrison
When George Washington Carver was just a young child, he had a secret: a garden of his own. Here, he rolled dirt between his fingers to check if plants needed more rain or sun. He protected roots through harsh winters, so plants could be reborn in the spring. He trimmed flowers, spread soil, studied life cycles. And it was in this very place that George’s love of nature sprouted into something so much more—his future. Gene Barretta’s moving words and Frank Morrison’s beautiful paintings tell the inspiring life and history of George Washington Carver, from a baby born into slavery to celebrated botanist, scientist, and inventor. His passion and determination are the seeds to this lasting story about triumph over hardship—a tale that begins in a secret garden.
A Texas Bluebonnet Award Book of the Year
Reviews
School Library Journal: STARRED REVIEW!!! - “Barretta’s prose, combined with Morrison’s art, fully illuminates the depth of Carter’s considerable contributions to the science of agriculture, the farming community, and racial equality. Back matter includes a time line of Carver’s life, a ¬bibliography, and suggestions for further ¬reading. VERDICT A well-thought-out biography that highlights a different side of Carver and will be a first purchase for school and ¬public library collections.”
Booklist: STARRED REVIEW!!! “In an expressive picture book that focuses on the subject’s childhood more than his later accomplishments, Barretta creates a strong impression of Carver’s delight in nature, drive to learn, and sense of purpose. The oil paintings by Morrison, a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor recipient, reinforce those impressions with glorious scenes of the woodland garden as well as sensitive, dignified portrayals of Carver-both the boy and the man. A biography illuminating the path, chosen in childhood, that Carver continued to follow.”
Publisher’s Weekly: “Barretta explains why peanuts were crucial (cotton had exhausted the soil) and celebrates Carver’s formidable success as peanuts become the South’s most popular crop . . . Through myriad lush garden scenes and impressive portraiture by Morrison, Carver emerges as a generous figure, a “living folk hero,” able to do whatever he set out to and “always ready to serve humanity.”
Kirkus Reviews: “The narration then takes readers back to Carver’s childhood to discover how he reached that career highlight . . . The substantial text holds readers on each spread long enough to appreciate not only the subject matter of the painted illustrations.”
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HONORS
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2021-22 - "The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver" included in the Virginia statewide "Reading Makes Cents" Program
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2021 - "The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver" nominated for an NAACP Image Award!
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2020 - "The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver" included in School Library Journal/ Fuse #8's 2020 Non-Fiction Picture Books
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2020 - "The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver" included in School Library Journal/ Fuse #8's 2020 Unique Biographies
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2020 - "The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver" and "Muhammad Ali: A Champion is Born" included in Book Riot’s list of “52 Incredible Picture Book Biographies of Black People Creating and Learning.”
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2020 - "The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver" included in Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List 2021-2022
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2020 - "The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver" included in SLJ article, “#BlackinSTEM: 17 Nonfiction Books That Spotlight Black Scientists, Thinkers, and Inventors.”
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2019 - "The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver" awarded a Starred Review from Booklist
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2019 - "The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver" awarded a Starred Review from School Library Journal
