Through The Garden Gate by Sharon Rose & Erin Brown

This is a beautifully illustrated fairy tale for modern children that could, perhaps, use a few more pages to better explain some of the story diversions it takes while chronicling the magical adventures of its young protagonist.

Said protagonist Miles is boooooooored, in the manner of all kids with too much time and not enough hobbies. His mother suggests that he goes next door to help Miss Mary with her garden, and to visit with her dog Sunny. Gardening sounds super dull to Miles, but who doesn’t love hanging out with cute pets? So off Miles goes to see if his older neighbor needs any help a/o company.

Miss Mary introduces him to her new baby chicks before teaching him how to dig up crabgrass. At first it’s tough work, but once he gets the hang of it, he takes pleasure in a job well done. While doing so, he notices a small, closed gate beyond the California poppies. Miss Mary says, with a twinkle in her eye, that he’s free to explore once he’s done with the crabgrass that’s crowding out her flowers. He definitely takes her up on the offer, and soon finds himself in a magical place of fanciful creatures and fascinating plants.

I really loved how Sharon Rose melded this fairy tale with educational facts about the plants she highlights. I don’t recall ever hearing of the Boquila vine before but definitely want to see one in person now! I also really appreciated that she brought up how weeds are just plants that people don’t want growing in a certain place, tho with a well-written note as well about invasive species.

Story-wise, I’ve found that reading children’s books as an adult can be a strange experience, especially when you go back to the beloved books of your childhood only to discover that the magic has diminished because the narrative definitely isn’t as good as you recalled. The fictional narrative here doesn’t quite fall into that same trap but I definitely came out of the experience with more questions than answers — questions I likely wouldn’t even have had as a child! Like, how did the gophers fix the bog? And why didn’t we get to see the battle against the magical crabgrass on the page? I think those stories could have been spread out into two entertaining books. Honestly, this feels like the terrific basis for an entire series, tho one that needs a little firmer shaping — pruning, if you’ll excuse the gardening metaphor — to make it something truly special.

Erin Brown’s illustrations, gorgeous end papers included, are a visual delight. There were, again, some interesting editorial choices that had me asking questions but overall the book was a botanical feast.

Through The Garden Gate by Sharon Rose & Erin Brown was published April 7 2026 by The Collective Book Studio and is available from all good booksellers, including