A twist on the classic cumulative tale, "The House that Jack Built." In this story, we progress forward time as the garden that Jack plants sprouts, grows, blossoms, and attracts birds and insects. I like how this story clearly shows the steps in the timeline of how a garden grows.

Genre
Cumulative tales
Picture books for children
Illustration
Detailed
Subject
Boys
Children and gardening
Flower gardening
Flower gardens
Garden animals
Gardens

this is the house that jack built... in the garden ( )

Recommended by Stephanie W.

Instead of "this is the house that Jack built," it's "This is the garden that Jack planted."

Text is aligned along the left-hand side of the verso page, with a landscape illustration of Jack's garden taking up about 2/3 of the rest of that page and stretching across the recto. Additional illustrations border the main one, showing the tools, seeds, insects, and plants that Jack uses or that appear as spring turns to summer and the garden grows. Henry Cole's beautifully realistic illustrations show a garden's seasonal transformation, complete with birds, butterflies, and blooms. ( )

Items in the garden are labeled. Back matter : How to start a garden. Done in "This is the House That Jack Built" style.