There are a surprising number of picture books about beautifying city spaces. This is the first one I've seen where that beatification happens by accident. I liked the way the improvement of the space lead to closer ties between people. By making the environment better, it becomes a friendlier place.

Vincent is spending the summer with his Aunt Mimi in the city while his mother is recovering from an operation. With no friends and nothing to do, it doesn’t look like he’s going to have much fun. But then he meets Toma, and the two boys bond while throwing some old dirt balls over the fence into an abandoned lot.

However, when plants start to spring up in the empty lot, it becomes clear that the balls were more than just dirt. And before long a beautiful flower garden has appeared in the middle of an otherwise grey neighbourhood.

This is a truly inspirational picture book about friendship, hope and the power of nature. I especially enjoyed seeing how the whole community comes together at the end to enjoy their new oasis of tranquility together.

The illustrator has done a fantastic job capturing the gradual transition from a grey, joyless environment to a place filled with beauty. The growth of the plants also mirrors Vincent’s own personal journey as he emerges from his state of boredom and finds a friend to play ball, read comics and eat ice cream with.

For some reason the official age recommendation for Me, Toma and the Concrete Garden on Amazon is 8-12 years. While I entirely agree with the increasingly widespread view that picture books can be enjoyed by all ages (and this one would certainly make an impression on older children and adults), I would estimate that it’s most suitable for children aged approximately 4 to 7 years.

Vincent is staying with his aunt for part of the summer. There he meets a neighbor boy named Toma. They bond over throwing Toma’s ball and the weird dirt balls that a secret admirer sent Vincent’s Aunt. They lob the dirt balls into an abandoned lot and think nothing of it until later some greenery shows up.

I hadn’t heard of these seed bomb ideas till this year. I read about it in a nonfiction book as a way to beautify a rundown area of a neighborhood (as long as you follow local rules and guidelines about abandoned lots). They don’t call them that in this book, they just call them dirt balls, but it is the same concept. This is a light story about unexpected joys, summer friendship, and beautifying a neighborhood. If you’re looking for a cute story about summer adventures, beautifying a neighborhood, or friendship this is a cute story with pleasant illustrations.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a lovely story! Larsen gives us a summer story, a neighborhood story, a friendship story, a family story, and a story about being a collective that work together in small ways to make the world a little bit better. BUT she does so with grace and without judgments or being "preachy" at all. I think both young and old will enjoy this story and the illustrations compliment perfectly. I can't wait to buy my own copy!

The illustrations in this book are lovely. The white/black/gray of everything except what is near Vincent, or the people he cares about, really emphasizes how gloomy and lonely he feels in the city with his Aunt Mimi. Soon he meets Toma, and the very first day they play together they take some odd "dirt balls" that Vincent's Aunt Mimi asked them to get rid of, and toss them over the wall into a vacant lot. From then on the boys are fast friends, and the weeks speed by. Then one day, their neighbor notices something in the vacant lot...their dirt balls are growing!

Children will enjoy this book for the developing friendships, and it's a lovely way to bring a little plant life into the city.

Vincent must spend the summer with his aunt Mimi while his mother is hospitalized. He stumbles upon some dirt balls on Aunt Mimi's balcony and she encourages him and his new found friend Toma to dispose of them somehow as they are totally useless to her. The boys create a game where they toss these unavailing dirt blobs over a wall into an abandoned, litter-cluttered, fenced-in lot that is right in the middle of the housing project. Can't hurt anything there with these dirt bombs can they?

Then a magical transformation occurs. The boys and the neighbours soon learn that these are not just any old balls of dirt, in fact they are full of rich seeds that start to sprout. They alter that desolate piece of land into something beautiful and inviting for everyone in the community to enjoy. Everyone takes ownership and a wonderful gathering place ensues.

The illustrations add such richness to the text as they start out with more neutral muted colours and end up with vibrant colours as the garden evolves. This is a wonderful book to connect kids with nature, give them a sense of pride in helping out their community and watching a friendship between two boys take root. I highly recommend this book.

Things aren’t always what they seem.

Vincent, is stuck in the city, so he makes friends with Toma, and they throw “dirt balls” that someone gave his aunt, into a vacant lot.

The dirt balls, are seed bomb, and they grow, and the boys learn the joy of having and keeping up with a garden, with help of the neighborhood, and the grumpy neighbor.

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Cute story of a good use of a summer.

Pictures are colorful and fun, and I like how the grumpy neighbor goes to being a helpful neighbor.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

Villeneuve's illustrations of an inner city apartment complex are brilliant additions to Larsen's story of Vincent, Toma, Aunt Mimi, and "Mr. Grumpypants."

Vincent is visiting his Aunt Mimi for the summer and she pays him and Toma to get rid of dirt balls that she was given. Those dirt balls were filled with seeds, and as the garden grew in the lot, the community grew more together. 

Wonderful story of how a simple flower garden can bring people together despite all their differences. I was very happy to receive this ARC from Kids Can Press via NetGalley.

A decent and perfectly pleasant tale, of two children who meet up in a bit of a scuzzy neighbourhood when one of them stays with his aunt for a long while. They throw away some balls of dirt, but lo and behold, they're not just dirt. Instead of a beanstalk, something else grows, and this book heralds community spirit, cooperation – and building on luck with care and attention for the good of all. The artwork conveys everything fine, with little colour at first, and it's all amenable.