The Jesus Garden *: An Easter Legend

The Jesus Garden is so unusually creative, telling the Passion of Christ from the point of view of the flowers, trees and birds of the garden of Gethsemane. I have never read anything like this. Quietly, gently, and with a profound sense of truth, a story of staggering depth and beauty unfolds in a way that is meaningful for even a very young reader or listener. This book deserves to be a classic of Christian literature for children.

Take beautiful springtime flowers, add adorable forest animals, and popular Easter legends in a garden setting and you have a delightful introduction to the suffering, death and resurrection and LOVE of Jesus. This is a beautiful story of LOVE and SACRIFICE wrapped in all the life and color of spring. After the drab days of ice and snow, children can easily see the beauty of the new life brought by Jesus. It is so attractively presented that children are naturally drawn to it. The story of the passion is presented with such love and gentleness that even the youngest of children will be touched.

Certain books hold a special place in the heart of any parent, and on the family bookshelf - The Jesus Garden is destined to join the ranks of these precious few. Antoinette Bosco's wonderful book for children examines the passion of Jesus Christ from the perspective of the plants and animals who fill his favorite garden. The opening pages of the book enable this love story to play out, introducing us to the dogwoods, the robin, the heart-shaped flowers, and of course their special friend Jesus. As the story plays out, we follow the Passion story from the moment of the agony in the Garden, through the Crucifixion, and ultimately Jesus' Resurrection. Most children's books that I've seen on this topic can be rather frightening, but Bosco and illustrator Patricia Mattozzi have managed to relay the story of Jesus' death in a manner which is gentle and not frightening. Mattozzi's illustrations are wonderful, luminescent depictions that warm the beautiful tale Bosco has crafted. The book's subtitle rightly calls this "An Easter Legend", for there are indeed some imaginary aspects to the story, but its main themes of Jesus Christ's transcendent love for each of us shines through. Don't save this one for Easter - it's a story to be loved all year through!