The Gardener of Kadriorg
2024. IMBI PAJU
The Gardener of Kadriorg, a book on green cultural history for children and families
The Gardener of Kadriorg takes both young and old on a journey into Estonia’s green history. Through the eyes of little Käbi we travel into the 1960s, when Estonia was under foreign rule; however, the stories passed from generation to generation kept alive the people’s love for their green world of nature – the green legacy and traditions that had been created by a small, independent European country before it was grabbed by the foreign regime.
Feedback
Reviews
"Great stories can also be told on a smaller scale and to smaller readers/listeners. Actually, they should be told in every possible way in order to reach all people with their various ways of understanding and thinking. Imbi Paju’s The Gardener of Kadriorg is one of the most brilliant children’s books in recent times. It makes for extremely friendly and educational reading. Oh, to be a child again! Still, the child within us is never really lost unless we endeavor to lose it. Growing up with the support of such books could make for a spirited journey indeed. Put your eyes in books, your fingers in the soil!"
Karl-Martin Sinijärv
- literary critic, journalist and poet -
"We can consider one of the greatest advantages of this book to be that it is meant for the whole family, not only for children. It allows a reading child to compare their own childhood with that of previous generations, but also – most important of all – to find common ground. It is this forging of collective ties of memory through common experience and the telling of common stories that seems to be one of the main goals of this book."
Jaanika Palm
- researcher of children’s literature -
2024
[The Gardener of Kadriorg]
The Gardener of Kadriorg takes both young and old on a journey into Estonia’s green history. Through the eyes of little Käbi we travel into the 1960s, when Estonia was under foreign rule; however, the stories passed from generation to generation kept alive the people’s love for their green world of nature – the green legacy and traditions that had been created by a small, independent European country before it was grabbed by the foreign regime.
In The Gardener of Kadriorg we see how a child becomes one with nature from a very young age, growing up with plants, trees, bees, ladybugs, birds, fruits and vegetables, berries and honey – with everything that can be found in real places throughout Estonia. For an Estonian, a garden is as important as the Song Festival. Together with little Käbi, we begin to understand that we too are a part of the same natural environment and cultural space, and it is our duty to protect and preserve it, to keep it safe for generations to come.
Publisher: Postimees Publishing
Illustrated by Liina Maadla
Edited by Lilli-Krõõt Repnau and Maria Krinal
Designed by Liis Karu
Quotes
"We are all made of stardust, we are tree bark, pinecones, ladybugs, bees, rivers and lakes, and the fragrance in the air after it rains."
"The soil is a magical world in which the roots of flowers, trees and shrubs communicate with each other, forming a large embracing family."
"We are all interconnected: grandmothers, grandfathers, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, forests and birds, plants and animals, ants and bees. This is the family tree of humankind."
Buy the book!
Choose your favorite bookstore to get your book today...
Imbi Paju on kirjanik, esseist ja filmirežissöör. Ta on õppinud kultuuriteadusi, klassikalist laulu ja Helsingi Ülikoolis soome keelt ja sotsiaalteadusi.
Imbi Paju is a multifaceted creator, writer, documentary filmmaker and essayist. Her books have been published in many languages.
