The idea for The Runaway Garden came to Schatzer when he heard the staggering statistics of runaways in the United States today. With one in seven children running away at some time in their young lives, Schatzer wanted to tell a story that could open discussion in a positive light about what could happen if a child left home. When he sat down to think of who could do the running away and what situations could develop, vegetables came to mind, using their names with homonyms and puns. All the green peas split for town; the tomatoes stewed and stirred. Celery and her friend sweet corn stalked off without a word. What made the snap beans snap? How did the berries get into a jam? What happened to the cauliflower's head? Read along as Grandpa spins a tale about the night that all the plants in the garden get up and run away. At first they think running away is fun, but it isn't long before things go terribly wrong.