Other published work

Auntie Mary’s Green Thumb
by
Alexandria Coronado
Published in the LA Times Kids' Reading Room
on Sunday, September 26, 2010
Illustrated by:
J.R. Johnson

Chelsea’s tummy rumbled with excitement!  Auntie Mary with the green thumb was coming to visit!  
 
Chelsea had never seen a green thumb.  She checked mailman, the ice cream man, and her friend Sally, but she didn’t find a green thumb.  
 
When Auntie Mary arrived, she pulled on gardening gloves so quickly, Chelsea didn’t get a chance to look at her thumbs.  
 
“Hello, Chelsea.  Would you like to help me today?”  Chelsea nodded, and Auntie Mary handed her a bucket, watering can, brand new shovel, and gloves.  The gloves fit perfectly!    
 
In the backyard, Auntie Mary pulled a not-quite-round, squashy, brown blob from the bucket.  Her eyes twinkled.  “Today, we are going to plant bulbs.”
 
She kneeled down in front of a dirt patch and Chelsea copied her.  “First, we need to make deep dirt beds so they sleep through the winter.”  
 
Worms wriggled around and snails slinked by their gloved hands as they dug skinny, deep holes.  
 
“Put the bulbs into bed with their heads up and tails down.”  Chelsea was confused.  She couldn’t see a head or tail on any of the bulbs!  
 
“Next, they need a warm dirt blanket so they can sleep through the winter.  Tuck them in tightly so they don’t get cold.”  
 
Chelsea patted the dirt down with her tiny, gloved hands.  She beamed when Auntie Mary told her she’d done a good job of making their beds.  
 
“Now, let’s give them food and water, help them say their prayers, and put them to sleep for the long, cold winter.”  
 
Auntie Mary opened a box with a spoon and smelly blue powder inside.  She put a spoonful of powder into each watering can and filled them with water.  Together, they poured water over their sleeping bulbs.    
 
Then, Auntie Mary said, “Now we say a prayer over each bulb so he grows tall and strong.”  Chelsea’s tiny hand nestled in Auntie Mary’s and they said, “God bless my plant and make it grow,” over each little bulb settling into his dirt bed for the long winter.    
 
Quick as a bumblebee, Auntie Mary flew off before Chelsea could see her green thumb!
 
Everyday, even in snow and rain, Chelsea checked her bulbs.  Nothing seemed to happen.  Sally asked what she was waiting for, but Chelsea just sighed and walked away.  
 
One day, Chelsea went into the garden and saw little green stems poking their heads out of the ground.  “So that’s what Auntie Mary was talking about when she said, ‘put their heads up and their tails down!’”   
 
“I told you Auntie Mary had a green thumb!  She can make anything grow,” her Mother said as her cheeks pinked.  
 
Chelsea and her Mother put a spoonful of the blue powder into the watering can, filled it with water, and watered the green stems.  Her Mother said they didn’t need to feed and water them everyday because they’d had prayers and warm dirt blankets to sleep with all winter.  Now they were waking up!
 
On the morning of Chelsea’s birthday, she ran outside to check her bulbs.  Their heads had opened up into yellow, white, red, and purple flowers with the most wonderful smell!
 
The next day, Auntie Mary came over to help Chelsea cut and clean the flowers.  Once again, she put her gloves on so quickly, Chelsea couldn’t see her thumbs!  When they finished, they had bright bouquets all over the house.  
 
This time, before Auntie Mary could fly away, Chelsea tugged on her sweater.  
 
“Auntie Mary, may I see your green thumb?  Please?”
 
Auntie Mary’s eyes sparkled as she pulled off her gloves and showed Chelsea her thumbs.  They weren’t green at all!  
 
“Mother said you have a green thumb.  Where is it?”
 
“Having a green thumb is an expression, a saying, that means someone is good at growing plants.  It doesn’t mean your thumbs are actually green.”  
 
“But Mother says you should always tell the truth.”  
 
“Yes, Chelsea, your Mother is right.  Perhaps we should have explained it to you better.  But look at all the beautiful flowers you grew!  That means you have a green thumb now, too!”  
 
Chelsea stared at her thumbs for a moment and smiled.  She waved goodbye and skipped down the sidewalk.  
 
"Wow, adults are so weird," she thought.  
 
But she couldn’t wait to show Sally her green thumb!  

THE END