The Surprise Garden by Zoe Hall

Illustrated by Shari Halpern. 32 pages. Blue Sky Press/Scholastic, 1998.

Three children plant unmarked seeds, water their garden, and wait for surprises to grow. They find vegetables, a watermelon, and a sunflower. The children enjoy picking the vegetables and eating them at a party. There is no explicit information about nutrition, but the story and the bright illustrations create a sense of anticipation about the vegetables. An afterword shows the different kinds of seeds and the vegetables they grew into.

Ages: 2-6
Cultural Context: European American