There is quite a bit to be found in First Garden: The White House Garden and How It Grew. I was very entertained while learning about the White House and its gardening history. I think children will relate to this book very easily. Children play a large part in this story of Mrs. Obama's idea of a garden for the grounds. They help with cultivating, planting, harvesting, and tasting the bounty of the First Garden. There is also a section sure to please young readers that features children of the [...]

I love tiny pictures of vegetables and fruits and the ones in this book are great. I suppose I enjoyed all the illustrations, even though the people did not look like the people they’re depicting. There is a wonderful photograph on the back cover of the book of people who participated in the planting & harvesting of the garden and the preparation & consuming of the food from it.There are a bunch of recipes in the back of the book. The garden is a vegetable and fruit, and okay, honey to [...]

This book reveals how the ‘First Garden’ at the Presidential White House has been used over the years and by whom it has been inhabited. It takes turns between giving specific examples of historical figures making use of the garden as well as the Obama family keeping it up-to-date. Pieces of history included in this book include Nixon’s daughter getting married there, and Tad Lincoln (Abraham’s son) riding his two ponies through the garden. Mrs. Obama tries to protect garden using natura [...]

Non-fictionThe time of George Washington was the beginning of the White House being constructed. President after President, the White House was added on to. Today the famous house has one hundred and thirty-two rooms, this includes the offices in the two wings. There is also thirty-five bathrooms, eleven bedrooms, two kitchens, three dining rooms, one library, one bowling alley, and a movie theater! Phew! That is a big house! But what about the outside? I really enjoyed reading this book. I enjo [...]

This book reveals how the ‘First Garden’ at the Presidential White House has been used over the years and by whom it has been inhabited. It takes turns between giving specific examples of historical figures making use of the garden as well as the Obama family keeping it up-to-date. Pieces of history included in this book include Nixon’s daughter getting married there, and Tad Lincoln (Abraham’s son) riding his two ponies through the garden. Mrs. Obama tries to protect garden using natura [...]

I miss the days when the White House was occupied by a family that saw the importance of bringing communities together. Reading this in 2017 just made me sad for what used to be when the Obamas lived in the White House.

Illustrations were't great, struggled to be narrative nonfiction without being too didactic (didn't land gracefully), and the recipes at the end seemed like an afterthought (a dip recipe with 2 ingredients: a can of salsa & cream cheese - ??? how does that relate to making fresh food from a garden?). Did like that prominent shout out to students from 2 DCPS schools (they're pictured on the back cover), so how very local value, but not beyond that.

The title of this book is, First Garden: The White House Garden and How it Grew. The author and illustrator of this book is, Robbin Gourley. The book was published by, Clarion Books a division of Houghton Mifflin Publishing Company in New York, NY, in 2011. This book is non-fiction, and has 48 pages. As a special feature, this book contains six pages of recipes for families to make and eat. This hardback edition cost, $16.99. The ISBN is, 978-0-547-48224-8. First Garden: The White House Garden [...]

If you're looking for a book to introduce children to the world of gardening, this book may be just what you need. Robbin Gourley follows Michelle Obama's quest to create a garden at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in First Garden: The White House Garden and How It Grew. Before readers learn about Mrs. Obama's garden initiative, the author outlines the history of gardening at the White House beginning with John Adam's garden in 1800. Numerous presidents and first families tended gardens including Thoma [...]

I enjoyed this look into gardening at the White House. Gourley begins by describing the various gardens and special areas surrounding the White House, and talking about some of the Presidential children and what they have done on the White House lawn. Then she focused on the Obamas, specifically First Lady Michelle, who decided to resurrect the idea of a kitchen garden on the White House lawn. There had not been a real vegetable garden at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt's time. Mrs. Obam [...]

This inspiring picture book is sprinkled with history as well as ecology and would be a perfect introduction to gardening. For those who think this was the first time the White House's pristine lawns have been used for a garden, the author provides several examples of Presidents who had cows and sheep grazing on the lawn as well as Presidential quotes about gardening. I loved how the garden provides food for the White House as well as for others, and how school children learned how to plant the [...]

I truly do not think any child would care that Michelle Obama planted a garden at the White House. However, good nonfiction picture books MAKE an otherwise bland subject matter interesting to children. The brief historical ancedotes about previous White House gardens and livestock were this book's only redeeming quality. It could have sprinkled in some more fun White House facts the grab kids a bit more. The White House is an awe-inpsiring, singular place with so much interesting history. Instea [...]

The First Garden: The White House Garden and How It Grew is a very cool book! I really enjoyed learning about the garden at the White House that First Lady Michelle Obama started. This book gives the history of the grounds at the White House and what types of animals and plants have lived there. I thought it was neat how Michelle Obama invited school children from Washington, D.C. to help plant the garden. The garden did extremely well and helped feed President Obama's family and guests. This ga [...]

First Garden by Robbin Gourley was a fun, nonfiction book about the vegeatable garden Michelle Obama planted at the White House. It also talks about some other fun facts that have to do with the White House. It talks about how first children have had fun living there, what other presidents' wives grew gardens, and the White House itself.This was an interesting book that I enjoyed reading. I learned a lot about the White House and the first families who have lived there. The pictures by Gourley w [...]

In 2009, Michelle Obama initiated the First Garden project. Her goal was to encourage healthful eating so the White House kitchen garden was born. With the help of a class of twenty-three 5th graders and other White House staff, the garden was planted and harvested and now produces more than a thousand pounds of food and one hundred and thirty-four pounds of honey. Interspersed throughout the story is a brief history of the White House gardens and grounds. Also included at the end are some favor [...]

Audience:Children who are interested in gardening, healthy eating, cooking with fresh produce, the president's family, or the children of presidents. Teachers can use it for lessons on healthy eating, where food comes from, and the first family.Appeal: This fully illustrated book about Michelle Obama's garden on the south lawn of the White House is filled with facts about past first families and presidents, gardening, and Mrs. Obama's mission to fight childhood obesity. For more information on t [...]

Gardens have been a part of the White House grounds since John Adams moved into building. and their emphasis has depended on the personality of the First Family, whether the goal be recreational or beautification. Given Mrs. Obama's concern for the nutrition and health of children, her focus has been on a kitchen garden with vegetables, fruits and herbs. Watercolor illustrations and a comfortably informative text are followed by recipes and resources. Nice addition to any collection which wants [...]

Robbin Gourley does a beautiful job describing the White House garden. Her clear narrative describes how Michelle Obama and a team of dedicated people created the garden. Several pages also describe the history of the White House and those who lived there. And finally, the book includes a few healthy and yummy sounding recipes. This book is a bit long for K - 3 but will make a lovely addition to school library collections. Pair it with other White House and presidential books, gardening themed s [...]

I've often wondered if authors who pick interesting topics that haven't been written about before somehow have an unfair advantage. After all, if the story is unfamiliar and dazzling, won't I automatically like the book? First Garden: The White House Garden and How it Grew served to ensure that this advantage was not guaranteed. The narrative is dry and much of it actually covers the same ground as "So You Want to be President?" The watercolors are nice, but I honestly didn't think it was possib [...]

Audience: K-6 and anyone interested in gardening, nutrition, the Obamas, and presidential history. Appeal: This book tells the story of Michelle Obama beginning a garden on the White House grounds with the help of local elementary school students. It details the process of starting the garden and then tells how the veggies and fruits and herbs are used in White House meals. This would be a great way to get a classroom excited to start their own garden. California Reading Association's Eureka! No [...]

This was an interesting book. Though it felt like a bit of P.R. for the Obama First Garden on its surface, it was also a good piece of nonfiction on the White House gardens' history and on backyard gardening in general. I liked the book quite a bit. The last eight pages include an extensive collection of recipes as well as reasons to garden and the typical nonfiction book source notes, but the first 25 pages are all about the garden and the green space around the White House. Good read.

Yeah, this book was about a billion times better then I expected. Strike 1-gardening, strike 2-The White House (just not that interested). So, with the count 0-2 Robbin Gourley was able to smack a double to deep left-center field with a very informative and interesting book. LOVED THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA SAID "NO BEETS?"

Another PA Reads K-3 book. I liked it more than I thought. I don't usually love kids' nonfiction (or grownup nonfiction for that matter). But I actually learned some things about the White House I didn't know. Also, the 6 year old boy in the house repeatedly said that he thought it was very interesting.

Gourley includes not only information about the White House garden created by Michelle Obama, but historical information about other gardens and animals on the White House grounds. Also included are recipes created with the fruits and vegetables from the White House garden, as well as other resources to learn more about the White House and gardening.

The First Garden project, began by First Lady Michelle Obama in 2009, is not the first garden at the White House. This book describes the history of White House gardens and the story behind the First Garden project. A great introduction to gardening and the importance of healthy eating. Several pages of recipes and a bibliography of books about White House families are included in the back.

I thought The White House Garden and How It Grows is a cool book, because it combines science and history together. I enjoy the non fiction facts as well as the illustrations. Overall, this book was pretty fantastic!

I like the facts about the White House that give some history to how the lawns have been used. I learned some things. Book even includes recipes. Not a great read-aloud for groups, but certainly a good book for classroom or family use.

A wonderful book that may inspire children to think more 'green.' I really liked how the book went into the history of the White House and then how there have been several gardens in the past that have been utilized. Additionally, I love the recipes in the back of the book. Great ideas!

COMMON CORE, NARRATIVE TEXT, NONFICTION, NON-FICTION, JUVENILE, HISTORY, WHITE HOUSE, GARDENS, - Narrative/Informational Text- White House- Presidents- Gardens- Plants- Farming- White House History

This picture book tells the story of the beginnings of the 2009 vegetable garden started by First Lady Michelle Obama on the White House lawn. Interspersed are stories about the history of the use of the White House grounds, recipes, gardening tips and resources. Gr. 1-5