Costa’s Garden

Flowers

By Costa Georgiadis

Illustrated by Brenna Quinlan

Reviewed by Margarite Igras

Costa Georgiadis is the well-known host of ABC TV’s Gardening Australia. He shares his passion and knowledge of flowers and even reflects on the special floral memory that reminds him of his grandparents.  Brenna Quinlan’s illustrations are bright and colourful, but the large eyes of the children can be a distraction.

Costa is a garden gnome. When the children put on their nature goggles in the flower garden, something magical happens. The flowers are magnified, showing the various insects and animals hidden amidst the petals and leaves, becoming a playground to further explore the plant details.  You can’t look at a flower and not smile. 

We learn that flower bring plants and animals together, they signal that other things are happening in nature and draw attention with their colour and smell.  Sunflowers follow the sun during the day, while other flowers help us celebrate the cycle of life, make memories. They are like paintbrushes that help us add colour to our stories.

The bright watercolour illustrations add depth to the many facts introduced making it digestible for the younger 4- to 8-year-old reader. This is an ideal book for home or school, bringing together many facts about flowers and urging children to take on the challenge to learn, understand and then grow them for their own pleasure.

ABC Books AU 2024