For many years, Mr. and Mrs. Kuroki lovingly raised their two children and tended to cows on their verdant dairy farm in Japan. They had a happy, fulfilling existence, with days that “were sprinkled with laughter and worries, hard work and gentle rest,” and they dreamed of a future when they would travel the world together and visit “countries where people spoke different languages, celebrated different traditions, and led all different kinds of lives.”
But when Mrs. Kuroki’s eyesight failed due to illness, she became quiet and withdrawn, no longer the same chatty and vibrant woman Mr. Kuroki loved so much. Desperate to “find a way to keep her with me before she fades away,” he came up with a plan to help his wife engage with the world once again.
Mr. Kuroki’s Garden tells the story of Mr. Kuroki’s efforts to plant a garden that, over the course of two years, grew and grew, gradually blanketing the farm with “the prettiest and sweetest-smelling plant he knew, the shibazakura, moss phlox.” As award-winning Quebecois author Anne Renaud reveals in this lovely depiction of a heartwarming true story, his garden caught the attention of travelers worldwide who “want[ed] to see this place where all the love in one man’s heart bloomed.”
Ohara Hale’s illustrations perfectly convey the enormity of Mr. Kuroki’s endeavor, depicting him in various work scenarios outside, while a white cat supervises. And when Mrs. Kuroki realizes it doesn’t matter if she can’t travel the world because her husband’s extraordinary labor of love has brought the world to her, Hale’s art explodes with pink-petaled joy. A portrait of Mrs. Kuroki “nestled in the heart of the garden” is especially moving, and a riotously colorful spread representing the home countries of the people who journey to see the sight radiates pure celebratory fun.
Renaud has crafted a beautiful and inspiring tale about a meaningful act of love that made happiness bloom for so many. Mr. Kuroki painstakingly, devotedly planted the seeds of a community that still cultivates joy in Japan today—and will do the same for readers who experience this uplifting book.
