Gifts from Georgia’s Garden: How Georgia O’Keeffe Nourished Her Art
by Lisa Robinson; illus. by Hadley Hooper
Primary    Porter/Holiday    40 pp.
3/24    9780823452668    $18.99
e-book ed.  9780823457557    $11.99

Spare, poetic text and illustrations rich in color and detail provide a unique insight into a well-known artist. Beginning in well-trodden territory with descriptions of O’Keeffe’s (1887–1986) flower paintings, Robinson quickly directs the story to the artist’s later life and the ways that not only the natural landscape of New Mexico but also the nourishing acts of tending a garden and feeding friends inspired her art. The text is lean but full of evocative details. Hooper’s illustrations focus on the things O’Keeffe loved—landscapes and natural materials take precedence over people, who are often sketched in black and white over the riot of color of a table of food or a garden full of flowers. One memorable page-turn first shows a young Georgia surrounded by the kinds of small natural objects that intrigued her; on the following spread, many of the same objects are shown much larger and more painterly, leaping out of an older O’Keeffe’s head. Back matter includes brief biographical information, more details about some of her sustainable gardening techniques, a list of sources, and O’Keeffe’s recipe for pecan butterball cookies.

From the March/April 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.