A heartfelt picture book about one child’s experience in foster care that reminds all kids that—just like a garden—love from the right source will help them bloom.
Lamar has lived in seven homes in three years and has never stayed anywhere long enough to put down roots. As he watches his new foster mom tend to her garden each day, he soon joins her with cautious curiosity. Together, they plant, they weed, they water . . . until one day Lamar’s anger and feelings of uncertainty lead him to destroy the garden.
But through his foster mother’s love and care, Lamar discovers that just like her garden, he is wanted, he is loved, he has been planted, and he will bloom.
Written by a licensed social worker, Planted with Love illustrates that a loving home and a loving adult can provide a safe place for any child to grow and thrive.
BIO
Natasha Tripplett, a Jewish-Jamaican American author, lives in Northern California where she writes from a tree house perched in a sycamore tree. As a baby, Natasha was adopted into a Dutch, Christian family. Growing up on Vancouver Island in Canada, Natasha was acutely aware that she was different from her family; this did not keep her from integrating all the pieces of her identity. Natasha’s multicultural background has allowed her to flow seamlessly through different cultures while bridging gaps that typically divide people. Natasha has her masters degree in social work and practiced in the field of adoptions. She has counseled families, adoptees, and children in foster care. Natasha desires to help adoptees and those in foster care integrate their identity into one cohesive narrative. She has been published in various online magazines. Natasha is represented by Caryn Wiseman of Andrea Brown Literary Agency and has picture books with HarperCollins, Chronicle and WaterBrook.
[H] Westbrook Press / March 11, 2025
0.3" H x 8.7" L x 8.6" W (0.55 lbs) 40 pages
For ages 3 to 7