At the height of the U.S. Depression, Lydia Grace Finch must leave home to spend a year living with her stodgy uncle in the city to help out in his bakery. The story of how she transforms his tenement apartment (and eventually her uncle) with her gardening skills is told through a series of letters she writes from August 27, 1935 to July 11, 1936, and through David Small's detailed pen-and-ink illustrations, as well. Small's line work, in particular, shows the determination of the plucky young heroine, contrasted with the gruff character of her hard-working uncle. (Ages 5-9)

The Gardener is a 1997 New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of the Year and a 1998 Caldecott Honor Book.

From the author-and-illustrator team of the bestselling The Library.

Lydia Grace Finch brings a suitcase full of seeds to the big gray city, where she goes to stay with her Uncle Jim, a cantankerous baker. There she initiates a gradual transformation, bit by bit brightening the shop and bringing smiles to customers' faces with the flowers she grows. But it is in a secret place that Lydia Grace works on her masterpiece -- an ambitious rooftop garden -- which she hopes will make even Uncle Jim smile. Sarah Stewart introduces readers to an engaging and determined young heroine, whose story is told through letters written home, while David Small's illustrations beautifully evoke the Depression-era setting.