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2 out of 4 stars
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Author Deborah Cromer's book is bursting with all the benefits achieved through gardening. Nutrition, health, nature, and fun are just a few advantages mentioned. Told by King Jerome Gnomer, readers can follow this gnome's narrative from planning, to purchasing, to planting, to harvesting. The final event is a feast for everyone in the kingdom.
Gnomer's Corner consists of 62 pages; the text pages and the photo pages are equally divided. Usually, the first line of the text refers to the accompanying picture. For example, when the king goes to purchase seeds from the elf, he pays with gold stones. In the picture with the gnome, there are three gold rocks on the ground by his feet.
The rhyme scheme is basic couplet AABB etc. The meter is fairly consistent with just a few irregularities. There are some forced syntax rhymes such as this one on page 15, "Winter squash to warm the house up while baking in the oven hot/Filling the kitchen with smells of goodness that can't be bought." At times the text page will end with the first line of a couplet and finish with the second line on the next text page. At other times, the couplet ends on one page, and a new one begins on the next page. I found the second option was the easiest to read aloud.
My favorite parts of the book are the descriptions of the various fruits and vegetables that are mentioned. It is obvious that Cromer is an avid gardener, and her enthusiasm for the whole growing process is evident. Her desire to encourage children to acquire her passion is admirable.
Unfortunately, I have some issues with this book. Due to five of the pages consisting of over 20 lines of poetry on each page, it is hard to imagine how it would appeal to children of any age. The addition of "nighttime naughters," elves, and fairies who make the garden grow magically fast sends a conflicting message to traditional gardeners. My least favorite part was the monotony of hearing about how big and green the leaves were on various plants. I was ready to quit the book by page 45 and cannot image this being a book parents would want to read multiple times to their child.
I think by condensing the text to just a few lines under each picture, the book could be appealing to elementary age students. In its current offering, I cannot recommend it to anyone. I am giving it two stars out of four. One star is awarded to the author for her passion, and one star is awarded for excellent editing.
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Gnomer's Corner
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