“This was the garden. It Didn’t look like much, but it meant everything to it’s gardener.” -The Little Gardener, Emily Hughes
Oh, Emily Hughes! She is currently one my of my illustrator crushes. I just love her work! Each one of her illustrations is brimming with patterns, texture and dozens of tiny, lovingly drawn-out details. Her characters are also full of, well, character. Emily’s work is bold, unique, beautiful, and out to make a mark. As a testament to her work I can say this, I tried photographing the cover of “The Little Gardener” four different times in different shades of foliage and the cover camouflaged in to each and every one of them! I find that highly impressive! Also, on a side note, Emily has authored her own books as well and done a wonderful job! Out of these three she is also the author for “The Little Gardener” and “Wild” I love each of these books for different reasons.
The Little Gardener by Emily Hughes
Lets start with “The Little Gardener” because it is my personal favorite of the bunch and quite possibly (now this is a strong statement, but I mean it) one of my favorite books of all time now! It is about a little gardener to whom his garden means everything. He works very, very hard, but he is just too small and needs some help. The little gardener, his worm friend, and his garden are sure to all find a way into your heart in this endearing tale of perseverance, hard work, passion and love. I also adore how it teaches the saying “actions speak louder than words.” Check out some of the illustrations (SO wonderful!):
Wild by Emily Hughes
The next one I’ll talk about is “Wild”. Isn’t that one of the most eye-catching, fabulous covers you have ever seen?! (swoon!) The endpapers inside are just as stunning and y’all know I love me some good endpapers! The story is about a little girl who is raised by animals in the wild and is complety delighted by it. She is discovered one day by some other humans who take her into “society” and try to teach her how to “behave”. However, she is unhappy with such a different way of life and finds herself misunderstood by everyone around her. She soon runs off and finds her way back into the wild where she is content once more. This one doesn’t resonate with me quite as much as the other two books because some of the illustrations are a little harsh for my personal taste. However, they are still incredible and I understand how she used them to make her point in the book. You shouldn’t try to tame things that are “so happily wild”.
A Brave Bear by Sean Taylor Illustrated by Emily Hughes
A Brave Bear is one that you have already seen me share if you follow me on Instagram (@book.nerd.mommy), but I just couldn’t leave it out! It is a story about a baby bear and a papa bear who want to head down to the river on a very hot day to cool off. Along the way baby bear tries to show his papa that he is growing up big and strong just like him by being brave, jumping high, and doing his best to keep up. This book is sweet, sentimental, and completely endearing. It has an simpler text and plot than the other two I shared, but that makes it perfect for us as a repeat read. And it definitely is being repeatedly read over here!
Aren’t her illustrations absolutely gorgeous and frame-worthy?! I am so excited to watch and see what she comes out with next. It is sure to be fabulous!
Click here to purchase “A Little Gardener“, “Wild“, “A Brave Bear” *affiliate links
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