Hope's Garden Song - by Johanna Cannelongo (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Hope's Garden Song is a powerful metaphor written to help hurting families learn to sing a new song of HOPE together, while also cultivating a safe space for their deep sorrows.

This story takes place in a special beloved broken garden, among tender, broken-hearted animals that weep over its unexpected destruction from a terrible winter storm right before the highly anticipated celebration of Spring. The hurting and confused animals, who lose their favorite tree and their precious Lily flower, learn what it means to weep together, grieve together and HOPE together too. In the midst of their journey of pain, a special butterfly friend, named "Hope" teaches them a new song to sing. Through a journey of questioning, doubt, anger, and honest wrestling...They come to discover that their "Great Gardener" who weeps with them, is always working, always close, always doing a new thing even when they can't see Him.

In fact, they discover the most amazing truth: that He is using every precious tear to grow beautiful gifts from their deepest pain.

Hope's "garden song" becomes their light in the darkness and the anthem that ultimately comforts their broken hearts as they trust their Good Gardener. This endearing and powerful parable is for all ages and honors both the depths of shared sorrow that families sometimes have to walk through and the overwhelming joy of a deep shared HOPE too.

When read together, this story will give needed language to validate the raw realities of disappointment, trauma and loss, while also celebrating the deeper truth that we can trust all our broken gardens to the Great Gardener's good hands and loving heart.

"Behold, I am making all things new." (Rev. 21:5)

Review Quotes

Niche books that speak into one of the private pain-points in a person's life are some of the greatest literary gifts from God. It feels to the reader as though the Lord, in His loving-kindness, inspired the author to write that particular message just for you. Though the writer had to live the message and learn the message themself, at another point in time, the reader receives it right on time for that specific tender-hearted season they are in. It's a miracle really - how God can minister to a heart so intimately through story. Over the course of my life, I would say that there have been no more than half-a-dozen books that have impacted me in this miraculous right-on-time and written-just-for-me way. I believe that Johanna Cannelongo's children's book, Hope's Garden Song is going to be such a book for the precious young people who find themselves in a season of deep grief and soul sadness.

• Wendy Speake, author of Triggers and Parenting Scripts and mother of three

The heart that went into creating this book from a writing and illustrating perspective is beautiful.

It's one I have available for conversations with my grandchildren. Our beautiful 3-year-old son died at Christmas time in 2021, and my grandkids knew him and were there during the couple of weeks before Nehemiah passed away. This book will help anyone navigate a conversation about hard things and can be referred to repeatedly as questions might arise in their little minds about death and dying.

• Cori Salchert, CEO of SafeHaven4Babies, former Hospice nurse, author of "I will Love You Forever", mother of 14, speaker and passionate advocate for LIFE

Children rarely escape childhood without loss; grief is a part of life. I have found as a clinical psychologist that the challenge is how to help them through the tangled emotions associated with it. Their feelings can be minimized in the crushing grief of adult loss. Or the the ones who love them most lack the words or are uncertain about how to approach the topic. Enter "Hope's Garden Song." Using a beautiful garden analogy and evocative drawings, a child is guided through the transition from winter to spring with a deeply themed message of hope after loss. It's hard to imagine the adults in their life not being moved by its message as well. Poignantly crafted, beautifully illustrated, this book will become a children's classic.

• Cindy Champnella, PhD, Author of: "The Waiting Child" (St.Martins Press) and "The Twelve Gifts of Life" (Ambassador International).

As a Mother who has lost a child myself, Johanna's beautiful book gripped my heart completely. I grieved reading it as I recalled so many complex emotions. This book, ultimately, filled me with hope. As a Mother who is also part of the adoption community, I know Johanna personally - and I can say that I know her heart. We've walked through adoption processes together, wearing each other's fundraising shirts. We've walked the painful path of child loss together, carrying the weight of each other's aching hearts and finding the strength to embrace joys over sorrows resulting in light in the wake of darkness. I am so honored to walk alongside Johanna as she releases this most beautiful family treasure, sharing a message of hope and triumph in the face of anguish. I have to give an equal nod to the Illustrator, Sara Jo Floyd, who manages to convey the message in such beautiful ways with her masterful gifts. This is a book for children. This is also a book for adults. And it will surely help heal hearts.

• Lisa Murphy, Founder & CEO of Open Hearts for Orphans