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"To know someone here and there who thinks and feels with us, and though distant is close to us in spirit, this makes the earth for us an inhabited garden."—Goethe
"Mr. Goethe’s Garden offers children and adults the beautiful opportunity to explore and reconnect with the rhythms of the Earth. To open this book is to reopen oneself, like the petals of a flower, to the wondrous connections of the world in which we live."—Julia Butterfly Hill, author of The Legacy of Luna, founder of Circle of Life
"Mr. Goethe's Garden walks the reader into the riches of nature. It will make you stop and look at nature, inspiring you to see, to garden, to draw, or even...to dance."—Paul Hawken, author of Natural Capitalism and The Ecology of Commerce Mr. Goethe’s Garden tells the story of a unique friendship between an inquisitive young girl, Irena, and her neighbor—the elderly, world-famous playwright, artist and natural scientist, Johann von Goethe. Irena visits Mr. Goethe in his well-tended garden where he teaches her to draw and to observe the world of nature in a special way.
Set in the 1830s, this book was inspired by Goethe’s life and his botanical treatise The Metamorphosis of the Plant. Exquisitely sensitive illustrations and elegant text reveal the intricate wonders of the plant kingdom. As the bonds of friendship deepen between Irena and her wise neighbor, she experiences a new way of seeing the natural cycle of the plant—from seed to flower to fruit and to seed again. “Like friends, plants tell you their secrets only when they know you care. Just practice listening with your eyes, and one day when you least expect it, you will see with your heart and be swept up into nature’s dance.”
An informative afterword describes the life of Goethe and his many accomplishments. (Ages 6–9)
Click on the links below to view images from Mr. Goethe's Garden!
 Diana Cohn is an educator with an active commitment to social justice work. She was a teacher for many years, and now works for a national foundation that supports communities organizing for economic and environmental justice. She has a master’s degree in education from Teacher’s College, Columbia University. She is the author of Dream Carver and Si, Se Puede! Yes, We Can! Janitor Strike in L.A. Visit her website at www.dreamcarver.org
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A freelance graphic designer and illustrator, Paul Mirocha has illustrated over 22 books for children and adults. His first illustrated book, Gathering the Desert, won the John Burroughs Award for best natural history book. Paul has two daughters, and lives in Tucson, Arizona, surrounded by the beauty of the Sonoran desert.
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