Review by Stephanie Bowen

Web posted on: Thursday, June 25, 1998 4:58:36 PM EDT

He devises a plan and sneaks off to the garden where he has time to think and reflect. As he begins his sojourn in the garden he can't imagine ever leaving. But eventually he emerges stronger and more ready to face life's difficulties. And more importantly, he learns that he will always carry his garden with him.

In one scene, Peter savors his new found home: "Surrounded by trees from around the world were quiet lawns and secret places that felt like the middle of the country, where the grass was long and squirrels buried acorns under the bushes. If you shut your eyes, you could still hear the traffic, but it felt far away and unimportant. The air smelled clean with the breath of trees. Hidden by thick bushes, Peter lay back in the grass and floated away into the deep forest."

The words are only part of this magical environment. Thompson's illustrations bring the ideas to life. There are giant snails, birds with worms and little fairies swinging from tree branches. There are huge flowers with stairs leading down into the pedals, tree trunks with hidden passageways and ladders connecting one tree to the next.

The artwork is so detailed a child could get lost in this magical garden for quite a while.

The Paradise Garden is truly a book that can be enjoyed by both parents and children. It serves as a reminder to adults that life isn't so easy for kids, especially in today's society where there are so many divorces and other external factors that leave kids lonely and confused. It also gives kids some real tools for dealing with their problems. Peter's journey through the garden leaves him better able to cope with his life, while not running away from it.

This tale of adventure and introspection gets to the heart of the matter and treats kids as the complex people that they are.

Recommended for kids ages 7-13.