Stone Garden by Tuula Pere and Andrea Alemanno is a beautifully illustrated story that follows Lina and Nico, a brother and sister, who venture into a historic stone garden to have lunch. The most prominent stone carving in the park is of an old man who was once a landowner of the garden and surrounding area. As this unique statue conjures a sense of curiosity in Nico, Lina begins to narrate the man’s story and his tragic life. As the old man’s tale unfolds, Nico learns of the unfortunate circumstances leading to the man’s fate and how his lonely existence and mysterious demeanor only further isolate him from everyone, including close family and friends.

I found the story captivating, with many of the visuals in the writing and in the illustrations included in the book. It’s a tale of tragedy and magic that follows the solitary life of one man and how his unusual nature painted him as many things, though he was widely misunderstood. He often strayed from making connections or building relationships with people, even close family. It was as if he didn’t know how to love other people, and while he may have been capable of love, there was a gap in communication or something missing that kept him from reaching out. However, the man developed a sense of belonging to other things; as Lina states, “at least he knew how to love nature.”

The author does an extraordinary job of creating relatable and lifelike characters while diving into the complex man and his legendary status in the community. While many hold firmly to the unkind, negative attributes of the old landowner, Lina and Nico look beyond this outer image to find the natural person beneath. It’s an inspiring book that gives the reader a sense of how important it is to discover more about someone beyond what others see. As the man may have been seen as unlovable or unapproachable, his demise could have changed if someone could have shown him compassion.

I recommend Stone Garden for its genuine and thoughtful characters and their ability to see beneath the grumpy exterior and into the heart of someone so easily judged.

Pages: 38 | ASIN: 9523577751

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/09/16/stone-garden/