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Sarah Mackenzie
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A Little More Beautiful: The Story of a Garden Hardcover – Picture Book, March 28, 2023

by Sarah Mackenzie (Author), Breezy Brookshire (Illustrator)
4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 452 ratings
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Sly as a fox and swift as a bird, Lou Alice is determined to leave each day a little more beautiful than she found it. But when she moves away from her little house, no one in town notices she's gone. No one, that is, except a little girl, who sets out to carry on Lou Alice's work. But doing so is not enough.

Can the girl find a way of her own to make the world a little more beautiful?

A story about seeing and being seen for readers who love Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney or The Library by Sarah Stewart and David Small.

What will you do to leave the world a little more beautiful than you found it?
Previous page
  1. Reading age
    3 - 12 years
  2. Print length
    32 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Waxwing Books
  5. Publication date
    March 28, 2023
  6. ISBN-10
    1956393005
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1956393002
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Starred Review: "The latest in a robust tradition of warm-hearted, well-written picture books that celebrate beauty." —Redeemed Reader

"A picture book that does, indeed, leave the world a little more beautiful than it found it." —The Children's Book Review

"Delicate, light-filled art paired equally in charm by the words, A Little More Beautiful is a new story told in the spirit of children's favorites of old, and is sure to warm the hearts of its readers." —Eliza Wheeler, Author/Illustrator of Home in the Woods and Miss Maple's Seeds

"A powerful story about courage and what it means to add beauty to this world." —Karina Yan Glaser, Author of The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street

"The soul of Miss Rumphius meets the charm of A Sick Day for Amos McGee, reminding young readers that even quiet kindnesses can have a beautiful ripple effect in our world." —Laura Martin, Author of Glitch, Float, The Edge of Extinction

"We can only hope this is the first of many picture books from Sarah Mackenzie, a champion of stories." —S.D. Smith, Author of The Green Ember

"A sweet tale, true to live, and wrapped up in watercolors as fresh as a garden in spring." —Ben Hatke, Author/Illustrator of Zita the Spacegirl, Mighty Jack, and Nobody Julia's House for Lost Creatures

"A work of art and true beauty"—Plumfield and Paideia

About the Author

Sarah Mackenzie is an enthusiastic reader of picture books and host of the Read-Aloud Revival® podcast. She lives in Eastern Washington with her husband and six kids, where she homeschools, reads aloud, and tries to leave each day a little more beautiful than she found it. 

Breezy Brookshire grew up and continues to live in Indiana, where she enjoys, among many things, nature walks, reading, and drawing characters from her imagination. Being home educated allowed her lots of time to cultivate her interest in illustration.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Waxwing Books (March 28, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 32 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1956393005
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1956393002
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 3 - 12 years
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.9 ounces
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 452 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Sarah Mackenzie

Sarah Mackenzie

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Sarah Mackenzie is an author, speaker, and podcast host. On the immensely popular Read-Aloud Revival podcast, she helps parents all over the world make meaningful connections with their kids through books. She lives in the Northwest with her husband, Andrew, homeschools their six kids, and loves making sure her family is well-stocked in the best books she can find.

Customer reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars
4.9 out of 5
452 global ratings
Beautiful story, beautiful illustrations!
5 Stars
Beautiful story, beautiful illustrations!
This story is one every family should read together! It is such a heartfelt tale about two unlikely friends. Showing how friendship and beauty is all around us if we are willing to put in a little effort. Sarah is a wonderful story teller and I already pre-ordered her next book from Waxwing Books! I love that it came with the audiobook too. (When I ordered this through Waxwing Books) I was able to put it straight on a Yoto Card for my daughter. She listens to it all the time.I love the whimsical pictures of this book. It has inspired my other daughter to be an illustrator for her own story. Breezy is very talented and has a way of bringing this story to life in the most beautiful way. Can't say enough good things about this book! 💛Thank you for this story, please continue to write more! Wholesome books that inspire our family to be better people, is always so hard to find!
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Top reviews from the United States

Marv Esh
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful artwork and sweet story
Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2023
Verified Purchase
The illustrations are amazing! All three of my children enjoyed this book even the 1 year old.
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Chris
5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely story of inspiration and friendship
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2023
Verified Purchase
This simple but profound story reminds us that anyone and everyone is able to make the world a more beautiful place. By paying attention to the people and places around us, we can show others that we care.
One person found this helpful
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Jos-C
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful!
Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2023
Such a beautiful, happy book!
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SchnauzerMom
5.0 out of 5 stars beautifully illustrated and written
Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2023
Bought for my 3 year old granddaughter; just know she will love it.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful picture book you will absolutely want to add to your library!
Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2023
Opening the box to reveal this book was like a literary garden bloomed into my hands. Every single page is lovely, and the illustrations will surely delight every reader, from whoever is reading aloud to whoever is reveling in the bright colors (and searching for the cat on each page!). Sarah’s word choice is impeccable. Lines jump off the page as sage wisdom and have a poetic feel that rolls off the tongue. With few words, she creates adorable characters you love and root for, and Breezy’s whimsical pictures bring them fully to life. My children want to step into the pages! The message in the book is reminiscent of Miss Rumphius, and surely this too, will become a picture book classic. It will become a go to read, will brighten your day, will inspire a better world, and would make the perfect gift to young and old. This book unlocks natural conversation - what are ways you can make the world a little more beautiful? While it is often read with snuggles on the couch, it is currently packed into a bag with a PB bio (Mornings With Monet) and an assortment of acrylics and canvases for open air painting at a park later this afternoon. Painting and enjoying this book will pair for a perfect and highly recommended afternoon! A Little More Beautiful will delight you, motivate you, and make you a fan of anything else Sarah MacKenzie writes! Click to Add to Cart - you will be so thankful that you did! And the world will be a little more beautiful because you’ve read it :)
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Sharlee Hatch
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Book
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2023
This story is simple but written well. The pictures are incredible and are breathtakingly beautiful. It allows for good discussion with your kids on living an intentional life to share goodness with the world.
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A. R.
5.0 out of 5 stars So Sweet
Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2023
Our family loved this lovely book. The story is sweet and inspirational, and the artwork is lush and beautiful. Highly recommend!
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M Shaw
5.0 out of 5 stars So Good
Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2023
My 7 year old daughter goes back to this book again and again to read on her own. She loves it. So it is a winner in our house. My 9 year old son really enjoyed it too when we read it together. It's an old school (in the best kind of way) feel good book that takes you on an adventure where the young girl with determination and a tender heart takes on a challenge - helping her the entire community really.
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