Khalil and Mr. Hagerty and the Backyard Treasures

A sweet friendship spanning age and culture blooms in a shared backyard.

Khalil lives in the upstairs apartment with his family, which is big and busy and noisy. Downstairs lives Mr. Hagerty, who is quiet. Khalil and Mr. Hagerty don’t appear to have a lot in common, but hot summer days have a way of bringing people together. As Khalil looks for buried treasure in the yard, Mr. Hagerty tends to his garden. Both help each other navigate language — whether it be learning new words or remembering those seemingly forgotten. Before long, an unlikely friendship is born, full of treasure, thoughtfulness, and chocolate cake. Through well-cultivated details and vibrant cut-paper collage, author Tricia Springstubb and illustrator Elaheh Taherian nurture a heart-tugging tribute to the love of good neighbors and to the strength of intergenerational and intercultural bonds.

Tricia Springstubb is the author of Phoebe and Digger, illustrated by Jeff Newman, and the Cody series, illustrated by Eliza Wheeler, as well as several other children’s books. She is a former children’s librarian at a public library in Ohio.

Elaheh Taherian graduated with an MFA in Illustration from the School of Visual Arts in New York City and also has an MFA from Art University in Tehran, Iran. The illustrator of several children books, she lives in Brooklyn, New York.