Mrs Noah's Garden

"A pleasure to read out loud...Accenting our capacity for starting over, this is a gentle, positive book which inspires a deep appreciation of the environment and its connection to family joy."

* IBBY *

"This magical story explores new beginnings, care for nature and, above all, home."

-- Seven Stories, The Centre for Children's Books

"Brims with optimism as it encourages us to plant, grow things and value kindness."

* Waitrose Weekend *

"Its exquisitely colourful illustrations, gentle humour and optimism that life can be renewed make this the picture book of the year."

-- Amanda Craig * New Statesman *

"We need optimism, kindness and hope especially now and I am so glad that this beautiful book is available to share with children"

* Library Lady *

"Gorgeously illustrated...an ode to joy, home and hope."

* Guardian Brilliant Books or the Summer *

"A lovely book that is beautifully written and incredibly illustrated. A pleasure to read.

* Reading Zone *

"A beautiful tribute to the wonders of nature...this delightful picture book is a mesmerising tale of hope and rebirth."

* Booktrust - Book of the Day *

"The story masterfully challenges a reader to think about ones personal circumstances. It nudges, rather than pushing readers to look around their environment, and use whatever limited or abundant resources to build a world fit for all."

* A Global Mama blog *

"An alternative approach to the story of Noah in which Mrs Noah is foregrounded and magical beasts survived the flood. Mayhew's colourful, naive images using collage show the celebratory garden she makes, filling it with love for her family."

-- Nicolette Jones * The Sunday Times *

"Mrs Noah's Garden is joyous and colourful and inspired...It's a real treasure of a book."

-- Adele Geras * An Awfully Big Blog Adventure blog *

"A wonderful celebration of the joys of planting and growing, I can see it being used to seed discussions around how you might create a garden – in school or at home.  Plus, as the publisher points out, it provides a positive way of encouraging discussion around migrants and refugees – as Mrs Noah and her family build a new home in a foreign land. I can see this becoming a firm favourite in classrooms all over the country."

-- Tricia Adams * LoveReading4Kids *

"The stunning collage illustrations are full of colour, texture and movement, evoking the beauty and magic of a botanical paradise. A gorgeous sequel to Mrs Noah's Pockets, this delightful picture book is a mesmerising tale of hope and rebirth."

* Book Trust - Books we Love *

"On the surface, this is a book about the creation of a garden, but woven through are themes of diversity and inclusion, hope and migration, the value and richness of creation, new beginnings and an environmental message about the interdependence of living things."

* Books for Topics - May Books of the Month *

"An exquisitely hopeful account of what might have happened when the ark touched land. Mayhew's glorious collage artwork combines with Morris's restrained text to show how bare rock and sparse vegetation can become a flourishing garden, nurturing all kinds of life."

-- Imogen Russell Williams * Guardian *

"Picture-book lovers will delight in the gentle, transformative hopefulness of Mrs Noah’s Garden (Otter-Barry Books). Here the quiet words of Jackie Morris (the illustrator of The Lost Words) are interwoven with riotous collaged illustrations from James Mayhew. Sitting on a mountain-top, under a sky filled with wave-like clouds, surrounded by boulders, Mrs Noah begins the process of adapting to a new way of living, after the flood. Amid the small remnants of life left when the water subsided – tenacious shrubs, “yew trees … ancient and tall” – and with the help of her children, Mrs Noah begins to plant a new garden. Counterpointing the elegant, just-enough restraint of the words, Mayhew’s illustrations are tender and joyful. A rainbow of paper shapes, seeming to lift off the page with the lightness of origami, or wrap and drape with the warmth of a well-loved quilt cradling a new baby, make the fingers tingle while they turn the pages."

-- Imogen Russell Williams * Times Literary Supplement *

"We have been waiting with eager anticipation for the second instalment of Mrs Noah's adventures for a long time. And what a treat it is - perhaps even surpassing the first one. As with the best picture books, the carefully chosen words and rich illustrations work together to convey the simple narrative, providing spaces for the reader to linger, speculate, enjoy and interpret the multilayered meaning."

* The Letterpress Project *

"With themes of fresh beginnings, nature's bounties and enjoying the safety of one's abode and its surroundings, (and there's new life too), Jackie Morris's beautifully crafted fable has a magical feel to it. Alive with magic too, are James Mayhew's fantastical illustrations. Using a mix of collage, paint and print techniques he makes many of them absolutely dance on the page."

* Red Reading Hub *

"A mesmerising story of home and new beginnings, Morris' text touches on themes of migration and refugees, while gently encouraging a love of the outdoors and creativity. Mayhew's vibrant, collage-based art conjures a lush celebration of the natural world."

* The Bookseller - One to Watch *

"An equally engaging follow up to Mrs Noah's Pockets and the perfect companion on the shelf. Jackie Morris and James Mayhew share the magical tale of how Mrs Noah creates a flourishing garden with some help from children and wildlife. A classic story which explores new beginnings, the importance of nature and ultimately being home."

-- Picture Book blogger * Instagram *

"...permeated with hope and tenderness. Perfect book for now."

-- Imogen Russell Williams * Twitter *

"Oh the joy when post like this arrives! Look at those colours!"

-- Jo Bowers, Principle Lecturer: Primary Education, Cardiff Metropolitan University * Twitter *

"An inspiring chronicle of the building of a new garden by Mrs Noah...superbly told, full of symbolism and richly illustrated; a timely story in an age of catastrophe."

* Prisma *

"What an absolute treat this book is. Following on from its predecessor Mrs Noah's Pockets, it continues the story of warm, earthy, practical, and creative Mrs Noah....a work of love."

* Just Imagine *

"The vibrant, collage-based art conjures a lush celebration of the natural world, transporting you to a magical place in bloom."

* Amayahs_diversebooks (Instagra