Review: The Comic Book Guide to Growing Food: Step-By-Step Vegetable Gardening for Everyone

As I said in my last post, I will be reviewing The Comic Book Guide to Growing Food: Step-By-Step Vegetable Gardening for Everyone by Joseph Tychonievich and illustrated by Liz Kozik. If you missed my last post about why you should grow a garden it will be linked at the bottom of this page.

I picked this book on a whim after seeing it on display at my library thinking it would be a fun, informative and quick read. This is a graphic novel that follows Mia and her retired neighbor, George. At the start George asks for help with his tech. This sparks a friendship between them after Mia gains a new interest in gardening after seeing George's huge vegetable garden in his backyard. This book is about 90% information and 10% story. The story element is used more so to transition between information. Regardless, the book is still really enjoyable to read.

The book itself has so much information about gardening. It starts at the beginning of the gardening process and finishes at the end when you have vegetables. It even has recipes in the back as some inspiration for what to make with your newly grown food. Throughout the book there are numerous "cheat sheets" that are like fact pages with information such as where to buy plants, what plants are best for your location, how much to water plants, and more. I love how this book has so much information, but isn't exhaustive by any means and doesn't read like a nonfiction. Also, since the book is a graphic novel, the pictures help convey the information in a visual way which can be very beneficial, especially when it is referencing certain gardening techniques.

This book is perfect for people curious about gardening and beginners. I also think it's a great read just like a regular fiction book because it does have a plot. Although most of the book is information, the pictures and characters make the book delightful to read even if you're reading it for pleasure rather than facts.