"Once, in a big city, in a bustling neighborhood..." an empty lot full of trash sat across the street from a school. The city was New York, the school was P.S. 175, and Mr. Tony was a volunteer at the school. Mr. Tony looked at the lot, and the kids, and saw a problem he wanted to fix and possibility he wanted to inspire. Mr. Tony, who is African American, spearheaded the effort to transform the garbage-strewn lot into the Harlem Grown community garden, involving the kids from the school and others from the community. This lively account by Tony Hillery (aka "Mr. Tony") of the Harlem Grown garden project he started and still leads today is paired with sprightly, stylized illustrations. An afterward from Tony Hillery tells more about the project, including how little he know about gardening when he began, and how large it's grown since then (12 sites across Harlem). There is also information on how to "Start a Garden Anywhere." (Ages 6-9)

As featured on Humans of New York

“Hartland’s joyful folk-art illustrations bop from the gray-toned jazzy vibrancy of a bustling city neighborhood to the colorful harvest of a lush urban farm.” —The New York Times
“An inspiring picture book for youngsters with meaningful ties to the environment, sustainability, and community engagement.” —Booklist

​Discover the incredible true story of Harlem Grown, a lush garden in New York City that grew out of an abandoned lot and now feeds a neighborhood.

Once
In a big city called New York
In a bustling neighborhood
There was an empty lot.
Nevaeh called it the haunted garden.

Harlem Grown tells the inspiring true story of how one man made a big difference in a neighborhood. After seeing how restless they were and their lack of healthy food options, Tony Hillery invited students from an underfunded school to turn a vacant lot into a beautiful and functional farm. By getting their hands dirty, these kids turned an abandoned space into something beautiful and useful while learning about healthy, sustainable eating and collaboration.

Five years later, the kids and their parents, with the support of the Harlem Grown staff, grow thousands of pounds of fruits and vegetables a year. All of it is given to the kids and their families. The incredible story is vividly brought to life with Jessie Hartland’s “charmingly busy art” (Booklist) that readers will pore over in search of new details as they revisit this poignant and uplifting tale over and over again.

Harlem Grown is an independent, not-for-profit organization. The author’s share of the proceeds from the sale of this book go directly to Harlem Grown.