Mr. Kuroki’s Garden

An uplifting picture book about the true story of a man who planted thousands of his wife’s favorite flower in their small Japanese town after she suffers the loss of her sight. An epic love story that delights young readers.

Mr. and Mrs. Kuroki live in Japan. They dream of traveling to distant countries once their cows are old and their children have grown up. But before this dream can come true, tragedy strikes. Mrs. Kuroki loses her sight, and with it, her joy for life. Determined to ease his wife’s sorrow, Mr. Kuroki decides to create an immense garden filled with his wife’s favorite flower, the Shibazakura.

This breathtaking and unique garden soon gains attention from all over the world. Over time, visitors arrive, eager to witness with their own eyes the place where a man’s love has blossomed in an effort to bring back his wife’s smile.

Inspired by a true story, this poignant album, rich in poetic depth, beautifully illustrates human resilience, love, and beauty. Ohara Hale, drawing from her Japanese heritage and memories of her grandmother, infuses this story with the warmth and delicacy of a timeless Japan, bringing the touching tale of the Kurokis to life.

Anne Renaud is the author of more than twenty-five children’s books, written in both French and English. She is well known for her picture books and nonfiction works on the history of Quebec and Canada. Her books have won numerous awards, including the Prix Peuplier, the Prix des libraires du Québec, and the Fédération des écrivains du Québec Prize for children’s and young adult literature. Additionally, her poems, articles, short stories, and craft projects are regularly published in children’s magazines.

Ohara Hale is a self-taught artist born to an American father and a Japanese mother. She works with a variety of techniques and materials. She sings, writes, draws, and creates sounds, words, colors, and movements that explore themes such as love, life, nature, and everything that is invisible, unknown, and dreamlike in the in-between. Hale lives on planet Earth among the flowers.