Stories for Growing
Cover of Lola Plants a GardenAges 3 to 6
Small stepsClear goals

Lola Plants a Garden

Anna McQuinn, illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw

Ages 3 to 6
About this age guidance

Kirkus: 3–6

The age tag follows Kirkus review. Other sources may suggest different ages. This is audience guidance, not an independent reading level.

The parent reports repeated requests from her preschooler and connects the story to growing beans at home.

Lola turns her enjoyment of a nursery rhyme into a gardening project. Library research comes before planting; waiting involves weeding and crafts. The finished garden becomes a place for friends, food, and storytelling.

Good forSetting a goal

Recommended by Read-at-Home Mom

Find at Bookshop.org Find on Amazon

Choose your preferred shop and check the edition there. These are standard links; no affiliate commission is earned in this preview.

What children see in the story

Choosing flowers, planting, and caring for the growing garden divide a large project into manageable stages. Lola chooses a garden she wants to make and eventually shares the result with friends.

Why it’s on these shelves

Small steps
A nursery rhyme makes Lola want a garden. She picks flowers at the library, prepares the ground and plants seeds with her parents, then weeds and makes decorations while the plants grow.
Clear goals
A nursery rhyme gives Lola a goal: a garden of her own. She picks out her flowers, plants them, and at the end invites her friends to enjoy the flowers, food and a story there.

Why pick it up?

The flowers grow, and Lola shares the garden.

A note for parents

Planning and patient care dominate. Parents help with a developmentally appropriate project without replacing Lola’s participation.

Where this recommendation comes from

Read-at-Home Mom

The parent reports repeated requests from her preschooler and connects the story to growing beans at home.

Read Read-at-Home Mom’s recommendation
Sources and review status

We have checked source descriptions and drafted the value mapping. We have not personally reviewed the full book. The value labels, situation assignments, and parent notes remain provisional.

Publisher or literacy resource · Original recommendation

Our explanation of the value fit is separate from the original reviewer’s judgment. Their inclusion here does not imply an endorsement of Stories for Growing.

Another good example

Browse more values