Tilly’s Moonlight Garden (review)

In this British import, middle-grader Tilly is struggling with loneliness: her family recently moved into an old house in the countryside, away from Tilly’s friends and school, and her mother’s pregnancy-related illness requires Mom to be on bed rest. After finding a cozy hideaway in a nearby garden, Tilly meets and befrieds Helen, a mysterious girl who wears old-fashioned clothes and only appears to Tilly at night. Meanwhile, Tilly’s worries build to a peak as her mother is taken to the hospital and the baby is delivered early. Thankfully, Mom and baby are fine, but Tilly is distressed yet again when Helen tells her that she won’t be coming around any longer (“You don’t need me anymore,” she tells Tilly). The ending is hopeful, with Tilly and her mother, now recovered, happily reunited and Tilly making a new friend at school. Although some readers may find it a bit frustrating that Helen’s appearance is never overtly explained, many middle-graders will be enchanted by the magic garden aspect, especially those who like Pearce’s Tom’s Midnight Garden (BCCB 9/59) or even Burnett’s The Secret Garden. Green wisely keeps her focus quite narrow, as her narration’s limited viewpoint mirrors Tilly’s troubled introspection. Although Howard’s occasional soft-edged, black and white illustrations depict a girl who looks younger than readers may imagine Tilly, he ably captures the cozily magical essence of Green’s writing. Nature lovers and lonely kids will respond to Tilly’s adventures and wish they had a place like hers.