Thank you @matthewcwinner of the @thechildrensbookpodcast for this exciting cover reveal of The Bear’s Garden. I loved working with Marcie Colleen on this story inspired by a real community garden in Brooklyn. Repost from @matthewcwinner using @RepostRegramApp – Exclusive Cover Reveal of THE BEAR’S GARDEN by Marcie Colleen and Alison Oliver!!! Author Marcie Colleen finishes my sentences: THE IDEA FOR THE BEAR’S GARDEN CAME FROM… a garden in my former neighborhood in Brooklyn, called The Brooklyn Bears Community Garden. I found that quizzical. I mean, do bears roam around Brooklyn? I soon learned that the garden was named after a stuffed bear who was found in the weeds when workers began to transform the lot. Immediately I wondered “where did the bear come from?” This purely-fictional book attempts to whimsically answer that question. IN THE STORY… a little girl sees an empty lot in her city and imagines what it can be. With the help of her stuffed bear, the girl brings her community together to create a beautiful garden. ONE THING I LOVE ABOUT ALISON OLIVER’S ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE STORY… is how she subtly changes her color palette as the garden grows. The story opens in shades of greys and blues yet moves to popping color as blossoms burst and the community flourishes. SOMETHING I HOPE THE READERS WILL TAKE AWAY FROM THE STORY IS… that beauty is everywhere. As in the story, anywhere can be “a place to grow, a place to play, and a place to love” sometimes it just takes a little imagination and resourcefulness. GARDENS ARE… perfect intersections of nature and humankind—especially urban community gardens. They are gathering places overflowing with and surrounded by all sorts of life. Pure symbiosis. *THE BEAR’S GARDEN will publish in March, 2020 from Imprint.