Smith’s nonfiction picture book addresses the reader directly on the first page: “The boat chugged out of San Francisco and into the bay. Sounds nice? It wasn’t.” The illustration of a bleak, forbidding scene and its accompanying text immediately invest the reader in this snapshot of a time, place, person and system: Elliott Michener, convicted counterfeiter, is sent to Alcatraz in the 1940s, where he becomes a gardener and thrives, evolving into a person worthy of trust and responsibility. Becoming a gardener transforms Michener, and his passion for his purpose transforms Alcatraz, or at least its environs.

The Gardener of Alcatraz looks at the penitentiary system through the lens of Michener’s experience at Alcatraz, and to a lesser extent, Leavenworth. Based on extensive reviews of primary sources, the story is meant for audiences between the ages of 7-10. The back matter includes a timeline bibliography of Michener and Alcatraz, as well as a brief history of the island, its gardens, and the federal penitentiary there.

The gouache illustrations by Jenn Ely show Michener’s affect on Alcatraz, changing from a gray palette to one infused with color from the plants and flowers that Michener grows on the island. The illustrations in the story and the historic photos in the text reflect what prisons would have looked like at the time; readers will find the images telling but explicit.

While it is unusual for picture books to look at former felons, it is important and needed: approximately half of all persons in state and federal prisons are the parents of minor children. A story where the reader is allowed to empathize with the subject, is needed and important.

Deanna Contrino, SLMS/MLIS
Young School Librarian, Saco