Gem

Look carefully. There may be a gem in your garden. That is the lesson that a granddaughter teaches her grandmother - and that the grandmother then memorializes in the treasured keepsake of a picture book that she paints for the little girl. For nearly four decades, watercolorist Holly Hobbie has drawn inspiration from the wonders of nature. During one especially hard winter, she found herself imagining the story of a determined toad's spring journey. Her vivid depiction of this endearing creature's glorious yet fragile world is a sparkling celebration of survival and renewal. From the muddy brown road outside a farmhouse to the sweet-smelling garden to the cool lily pads in the pond, readers will feel their senses rejuvenated by Holly Hobbie's gemlike, detailed paintings in this nearly wordless work.