[NASHVILLE, TENN., June 15, 2020—] As the world moved into quarantine to curb the spread of COVID-19 earlier this year, more families planted gardens than ever before. Parents, many looking for worthwhile activities for their little ones home from school, found a unique educational experience as they planted seeds in soil and watched what happened.
In her debut children’s book, “Gracie’s Garden” (July 14, 2020, B&H Publishing), bestselling author and podcaster Lara Casey explores many important lessons that she and her family—like so many others in their own backyards this spring—have learned in the garden.
“Gracie’s Garden” is a fun and meaningful story that helps kids learn patience by sowing seeds in faith and expectantly waiting for God to do his work. The main character, Gracie, with the help of an adorable squirrel friend, Nutty, kindly imparts the wisdom she knows about gardening and how God often grows things little by little, to her younger siblings, Joshua and Sarah.
“I haven’t always been good at gardening—I’ve actually killed a lot of plants in my life. But, I love being out in the garden in the dirt because I’ve learned some of the best life lessons there,” Casey said. “This book shares the best lesson my family and I have learned in the garden: little by little, God turns small seeds into marvelous things for us to enjoy. The waiting is worth it—and you can have a whole lot of fun while you wait!”
“Gracie’s Garden” highlights many other rich lessons Casey and her family have learned from the garden, including how to celebrate that God grows good things. The book’s characters are based on her own children—Grace, Sarah, and Joshua.
Over the years, Casey has experienced growth in her gardening knowledge, too. She provides new gardeners free resources on how to start their own garden in her annual Gardening 101 Guide and on her podcast.
Casey is the creator of the PowerSheets™ Intentional Goal Planner and the Write the Word™ Bible journals. As CEO of Cultivate What Matters and an influential voice online, Casey’s business and personal platforms have almost 300 thousand followers on social media. She is the creator and host of “Cultivate Your Life,” a weekly podcast devoted to helping women get unstuck. She is the author of two bestselling books, “Make It Happen: Surrender Your Fear, Take the Leap, Live on Purpose” and her most recent book, “Cultivate: A Grace-Filled Guide to Growing an Intentional Life.” Casey also leads the Making Things Happen Conference, which is in its eleventh year.
“I’m thrilled we could partner with Lara to bring her encouraging voice to young readers for the first time,” said Michelle Freeman, B&H Kids Publisher. “Her story’s timely message about patience is something children need to hear during this unprecedented year, and ‘Gracie’s Garden’ is a perfect reminder of growth, hope and daily miracles.”
For more information about “Gracie’s Garden,” visit bhpublishing.com.
Lara Casey is a mom to three, a grateful wife, and a believer in the impossible. As CEO of Cultivate What Matters™, Lara is the creator of the bestselling PowerSheets ™ Intentional Goal Planner, the Write the Word Bible journals, and has authored two bestselling books: “Make it Happen: Surrender Your Fear, Take the Leap, Live on Purpose” and her most recent book, “Cultivate: A Grace-Filled Guide to Growing an Intentional Life.” Her podcast, “Cultivate Your Life,” landed in the top charts upon its release. The Making Things Happen Conference, which she leads, is in its tenth year! Lara founded “Southern Weddings” magazine a decade ago and is passionate about doing business for a greater purpose. She loves getting her hands dirty in the garden with her kiddos in Chapel Hill, N.C.
B&H Publishing Group, an imprint of LifeWay Christian Resources, is a team of mission minded people with a passion for taking God’s Word to the world. Because we believe Every Word Matters™, we seek to provide intentional, Bible-centered content that positively impacts the hearts and minds of people, inspiring them to build a lifelong relationship with Jesus Christ. Among our print and digital releases for the trade, church and academic markets, titles include “The New York Times” No. 1 bestsellers “The Love Dare” and “The Vow,” No. 1 CBA bestseller “I Am a Church Member,” as well as the newly-revised Christian Standard Bible (CSB) version.
