Masato's Garden

A soothing book about loved ones and the quiet power of meditation in nature. For children ages 5 years and up.

Masato’s garden is unlike any other garden Johnny has ever seen. There are no pretty flowers and no vegetables either. It’s a garden of big rocks, tiny pebbles, and a spout of trickling water. Masato invites Johnny to sit there with him and take a moment to think about his sick grandfather.

Gerald "Jerry" Thomas Ruff (1954 - 2021) was an editor, teacher and author based in La Crosse, WI. Jerry retired in March 2020, and he thoroughly enjoyed the freedom to use his time as he wanted. Jerry passed away unexpectedly in March 2021, at the age of 66. He spent the last year of his life working on numerous creative endeavors, writing poetry, children's stories and editing for friends. These books will be an everlasting gift for families and children.

Maya Onodera studied law in Tokyo, Japan and art history in Bonn, Germany. During these studies, she discovered her fascination with picture books. As a child, she already liked to draw and paint. Now she also started to write stories. A lovely pug named Caesar was her main character. Although Caesar is already gone, he still remains an important inspiration to her. Maya works a lot with paper. Except for writing and painting, she also works in papier-mâché and origami. She also teaches children and adults to fold their own origami creations.