# Joy Takes Root - Hardcover

by **Gwendolyn Wallace** (Author), **Ashleigh Corrin** (Illustrator)

**In her grandmother's garden, a young Black girl learns about mindfulness and herbal medicine in this soothing intergenerational story about our connection to nature.**

It's Joy's first summer in her grandmother's South Carolina garden_\--_a rite of passage. In the midst of okra, spinach, and strawberries, Grammy teaches Joy that plants are friends with many uses. Herbs, for example, can be turned into medicine.

There in Grammy's abundant backyard, Joy learns to listen for the heartbeat of the earth and connect it to her own as she takes deep breaths and puts her intentions into the soil. By the story's end, she learns to grow seeds in her own garden, honoring all that her grandmother taught her. With sensory-rich illustrations from award-winning illustrator Ashleigh Corrin, _Joy Takes Root_ is a blissful reminder of all that might bloom.

### Author Biography

Gwendolyn Wallace graduated from Yale in 2021 and currently works for the International African American Museum. A budding herbalist, her debut children's book _Joy Takes Root_ was inspired by her own experiences gardening with her grandmother in South Carolina. Her next picture book, _The Light She Feels Inside_ (Sourcebooks) will publish Fall 2023.

Ashleigh Corrin is a graphic designer by day, illustrator by night. Her talent comes from her late grandmother, who inspired Ashleigh to serve people's unique stories with creativity. With her illustrations, she hopes to contribute to good laughs, nostalgia, vulnerability, transparency, and seeing the light in ourselves and others.

**Number of Pages:** 32

**Dimensions:** 0.5 x 8.7 x 11.2 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** June 20, 2023

## 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

- Joy Takes Root - Hardcover

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> Updated: 2026-07-23