Wintergarden

It’s possible to have a garden both in a city and during winter, Fox (The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle) shows in this melodically described portrait of a window-sill herb garden. “Pots in a row,/ on a windowsill,/ our kitchen/ smells like rain,” lines read, as a child stands on a step stool while their mother prepares pots of soil for seeding. The parent gives tender attention to both the seeds and the child: “She shows me what we’ve planted,/ names on the paper packets.” Working in delicate, tissue-like watercolor and mixed media shot through with light and crystalline forms, Hu (All You Need) alternates between scenes of the gardeners in their kitchen and close-ups of the plants, the roots they’re growing beneath the soil, and the tiny sprouts that emerge. When the herbs are ready to use, the family, portrayed with pale skin and dark hair, shares their tasty bounty (“The oregano makes the soup/ taste like summer”) until the next season arrives. It’s a story of tender care and nature’s contrasts: snowy cold outside, the miracle of things growing inside. Instructions for making a winter garden conclude. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Marzena Torzecka, Marlena Agency. (Nov.)