Book Review: The Gardener
Rating: 
The Great Depression in America was a time of uncertainty and difficulty for many Americans, but its trials also provided opportunities for courage and hope. In this story, Lydia Grace has been invited to stay with her dour uncle while her father looks for work. Uncle Jim is a baker, and Lydia Grace happily learns what she can about baking while working to bring beauty into her uncle’s life by planting beautiful flowers in his window boxes and cultivating an elaborate surprise to delight him.
The story is told by means of Lydia Grace’s cheerful letter home, giving the reader an unusual means of following a story line. Her letters are inset into David Small’s evocative, understated drawings, which reflect the mood and architecture of the period. In one striking scene, Lydia Grace’s figure is dwarfed by the shadowed train station, evoking her uncertain future. Her bright blue dress, inherited from her mother, is the only point of color in the picture. This image presages the rest of the story, as it is her indomitable courage that eventually brings joy into her uncle’s life.
Lydia Grace’s courage and love overflow in her care of plants and flowers, which bring beauty to her uncle’s life. With its emphasis on family, beauty, courage and hope, this story is a wonderful way to introduce the Great Depression to young readers.
Categories: 5 Stars, Age 04-08, Books Children Love, Caldecott Honor, Honey For a Child's Heart
Tags: Beauty, Courage, Creation Stewardship, Flowers, Great Depression, Hope, Letters, Persistence, Plants, Responsibility, Strong Families, Uncles
Posted on February 10, 2010
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Worldviews are not taught through five-point outlines; they are passed on from one generation to the next in stories and the ceremonies, celebrations, and customs that are based upon those stories.
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