Book summary

In this picture book set during the Great Depression, a young farm girl named Lydia Grace goes to the city to work at her Uncle Jim's bakery after her father loses his job. But Lydia Grace remains a country girl at heart, and brings her love of gardening with her to the city. Soon her uncle's apartment and bakery are bursting with Lydia Grace's flowers, but she is disappointed because she's never seen her uncle smile. Then Lydia Grace comes up with a plan for a surprise that's sure to make Uncle Jim smile. This story, told via Lydia Grace's letters, is illustrated with colorful drawings.

Media reviews

"...a moving, wonderfully rich illustrated story. It is that rarity, a pictorial delight that in 20 double pages gives more and more of itself each time it's read, and whose silent complexities reveal themselves with continuing pleasure."