Adding plants to a city is a great way to bring neighbors together in the fictional picture book City Green by DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan (HarperCollins, 1994). The author-illustrator’s pictures show a bleak looking spot next to Marcy’s apartment building. It is an empty lot where a different apartment building once stood. Along with Miss Rosa, Marcy decides to use the dirt to build a garden.
With a bit of community co-operation, the lots is cleaned up and planned. Some of the people in the apartment building are still upset that their previous apartment has been torn down. But now the neighbors appreciate the joy the plants bring. I loved how the process of building a garden helped bring people together. and a sweet touch at the end shows that Marcy’s gentle friendliness with Grouchy Old Mr. Hammer even helped them find the beauty of a garden to make him happy.
Some pages list ideas of what people want to plant, including decorative flowers and vegetables. My favorite page is the illustration of the finished gardens with a walkway in the middle.
