Mr. Kuroki’s Garden

PreS-Gr 2–Originally published in French, this book is based on the true story of Mr. Kuroki, who built a garden for his blind wife. Mr. Kuroki and his wife live together in Japan. They dream of traveling, seeing the world, and meeting new people. Unfortunately, Mrs. Kuroki’s sight begins to fade, and she can no longer see the things she loves. This sadly sends her into a depression; her world is dark and she feels small. Mr. Kuroki, wanting to do something for his wife, decides to build her a fragrant garden. This act of love takes time, but as word of the garden spreads, soon Mrs. Kuroki is smiling and laughing again, surrounded by international visitors. Hale has a loose, hand-drawn style that helps readers feel the emotion of Mrs. Kuroki’s depression and eventual happiness. It’s a sweet story of a man’s love for his wife, and in the end, a tale of hope and happiness, but it tackles tough topics like visual impairment and depression, which may be difficult for some readers. Mr. and Mrs. Kuroki, who appear for most of the book, have cream-colored skin tones, while the garden’s many visitors have many skin tones and types of garb.