# Celia Planted a Garden: The Story of Celia Thaxter and Her Island Garden - Hardcover

by **Phyllis Root** (Author), **Gary D. Schmidt** (Author), **Melissa Sweet** (Illustrator)

**From an all-star team comes a lyrical picture-book biography about a writer and master gardener who created beauty in a harsh island habitat that was visited by literary and artistic luminaries of her time.**

Celia Thaxter grew up on a desolate island off the coast of Maine, where her father worked as lighthouse keeper. Amid the white and gray of the sea, the rocks, and even the birds, young Celia found color where she could: green mosses and purple starfish and pink morning glories by the shore. And she planted her first garden, tucking bright marigolds between rocky ledges. When she was twelve, Celia's family moved to nearby Appledore Island, where her father built a large hotel, and Celia planted a bigger, ever-growing garden with nearly sixty types of flowers, from asters to wisteria.

Guests flocked to the hotel from around the world, among them such writers as Longfellow, Whittier, and Hawthorne. Celia had been writing poems about the island, her garden, and the sea, and they would be printed in magazines and books, making her a foremother of writing about nature. Now, for the first time, _Celia Planted a Garden_ showcases her life and work, in a poetic, vividly imagined picture book from a team of two authors and an illustrator, each recipients of numerous awards. More about Celia Thaxter, including a rich time line and bibliography, awaits readers in the back matter.

### Author Biography

**Phyllis Root** is the award-winning author of more than forty children's books, including the _Boston Globe-Horn Book_ Award winner _Big Momma Makes the World_, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, and _One Duck Stuck_, illustrated by Jane Chapman. Phyllis Root lives in Minnesota.

**Gary D. Schmidt** is the author of two Newbery Honor Books, _Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy_ and _The Wednesday Wars_, which also earned a Michael L. Printz Honor, as well as the National Book Award Finalist _Okay for Now_. He lives in Michigan.

**Melissa Sweet** is a _New York Times_ best-selling author and has illustrated nearly one hundred children's books. She has received numerous awards, including two Caldecott Honors, the Robert F. Sibert Medal, an Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children, and the Schneider Family Book Award. She lives in Maine.

**Number of Pages:** 40

**Dimensions:** 0.4 x 8.6 x 11.48 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** May 17, 2022

## Details

- **Price:** 18.99 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 18.99 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Celia Planted a Garden: The Story of Celia Thaxter and Her Island Garden - Hardcover

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