We Are the Gardeners by Joanna Gaines and Kids. Illustrated by Julianna Swaney

We Are the Gardeners is a story about gardening possibilities. The “we” of the title are author Joanna Gaines and her family. They share their experience of gardening, beginning with a potted fern given as a gift and a hopeful dream. From their dining room table to the backyard, they scheme, plan, and then slowly execute their horticultural plans. Through trial and error, failure and success, they keep at planting. From over-hydrating to aphid attacks and uninvited trespassing goats, the family discovers that there are many challenges to growing a good garden and that there are key life lessons to be learned as well.

Julianna Swaney’s illustrations are gentle in both tone and detail as we see both the garden and the family grow. Gaines and her husband, Chip, are parents to five children and the co-founders of Magnolia Homes as well as HGTV’s Fixer Upper. This is her first book for children. Recommended for ages 4 to 12, this picture book is a gardening inspiration for any dreaming family. (Thomas Nelson)