Synopses & Reviews
This truly gothic tale a facsimile of Weeds journal found at Alnwick Castle, in England is not only a story of the battle between good and evil, but an educational parable of the curative and lethal properties of plants.
Weed an orphan boy who apprentices with an evil old apothecary is both used and abused. His journal is part botanical workbook and part diary of his own relationship with poisonous plants.
Weed discovers that he is one of the few people whom the plants talk to, and they try to persuade him that, with their help, his master can easily be disposed of. Although he refuses at first, after Weeds first love, Marigold, experiments with the poisons and dies, he is pushed over the edge and plots to kill his master with a taste of his own evil medicine.
Each chapter of the story begins with Weeds botanical notes: a plants appearance and properties, where it is found, how it should be cared for, the most poisonous parts, and how poison is extracted and administered. Accompanied by Weeds sketches of the plants in their natural form, his diary also reveals the real personalities of the plants.
About the Author
Jane, Duchess of Northumberland has long researched poison gardens. She is responsible for creating the Poison Garden at Alnwick Gardens in England, which opened in 2004 to worldwide acclaim. The Poison Garden is the culmination of her lifes goal to teach children and adults alike the curative and lethal properties of poisonous plants.Colin Stimpson worked as an animator at Steven Spielbergs Amblimation studio in London and then at Disney Feature Animation in California.