From Boston Globe–Horn Book Award winner Jack Wong, a story of a boy who discovers that the more he learns, the more there is to know!

On their neighborhood walks together, a boy learns from his older sister all about the plants they see — magnolias that smell like lemon cake, creeping weeds that used to be planted for decoration, and even how dandelion greens can be eaten with spaghetti! But what makes a plant a flower, vegetable or weed, anyway? How can his sister tell, and how does she know so much?

The boy’s head spins as he realizes how vast the universe is and how much there is to learn … until he resolves to let his knowledge grow in its own way and time, just like the mysterious plants he has decided to nurture in the garden.

Award-winning creator Jack Wong brings us a delightful, nuanced story about cultivating patience and letting knowledge grow.

 

Key Text Features

dialogue

illustrations

 

Correlates to the Common Core States Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2

Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4

Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.7

Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.

JACK WONG (黃雋喬) was born in Hong Kong and raised in Vancouver, BC. He left a career as a bridge engineer to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts at NSCAD University in Kjipuktuk/Halifax, NS. All That Grows owes to all of the above — to taking a leap to learn new things, and to the sanctuary of big neighborhood walks in a small city, especially during the first spring of the pandemic when the seeds of this book were planted. Jack is also the creator of When You Can Swim (Boston Globe–Horn Book Award).

Jack Wong's profile page

Played out through quiet internality, the narrator's questioning curiosity, and the discovery they make while trusting their own intuition, provides quiet satisfaction.

Publishers Weekly

A thought-provoking book about the joys of the natural world, with a sprinkling of kid-friendly philosophy. STARRED REVIEW

School Library Journal

Wong's lush pastel illustrations are part of the magic of a picture book that will especially delight young gardeners.

Globe and Mail

A charming picture book ... Wong's illustrations are tender and dreamlike. STARRED REVIEW

Quill & Quire

Beautifully illustrated.

Montreal Gazette

A gentle story that encourages readers to engage with their own surroundings and discover the place they inhabit.

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

A delicate but powerful ode to curiosity and the delights to be found in the natural world. STARRED REVIEW

BookPage

Wong's impressive command of color, light, and shadow in his textured pastel illustrations makes each scene thrum with life ... A gentle and meditative origin story of a budding young gardener. STARRED REVIEW

Kirkus

A celebration of nature and of a ­loving sibling bond.

Horn Book

With every page-turn, Wong's exquisite synchronicity of words and art create a welcoming wonderland to explore and appreciate.

Shelf Awareness