Gardener [Hardcover]

 

 

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There are good David Small books and there are bad David Small books. Good David Small books are usually (though by no means always) written AND illustrated by David Small himself. Bad or poorly created David Small books are usually written by someone else, using Mr. Small's talents as a kind of afterthought. The exception to this rule (and all rules, as you well know, must have exceptions) is the pairing of David Small and his wife Sarah Stewart. After creating the fabulous "Money Tree" and the bibliophilic, but somewhat disturbing, "The Library", the two combined their talents yet again to write a gentle story of love, gardening, and family.

The year: 1935, and Lydia Grace Finch is being sent from the country to go live with her Uncle Jim in the city. Lydia Grace faces this challenge with resolve and a little sadness. After all, she is leaving her family behind, the effects of the Great Depression having taken their toll. The city is a gray dirty place and Uncle Jim is kind but he never smiles. Soon, it's Spring again and Lydia has found a place to call her own (the building's abandoned roof). Her number one goal is to get Uncle Jim to smile, and she's fairly certain that the answer to this goal is just around the corner.

What Stewart and Small have accomplished here is an evocative sense of metropolitan dank and pastoral greenery. The pictures are deeply moving sometimes, and gently humorous others. One picture that particularly took by breath away was the shot of Lydia Grace standing in the train station alone. She is singled out, a blue dress wearing, green hat donning, red-haired little girl. The rest of the scene is all gray slashes of people walking in the distance and filthy light streaming through huge windows overhead. It's a gorgeous picture. Uncle Jim is just the right companion for the spunky little heroine too, looking like nothing so much as a 1930s version of Gene Shalit (sans the hair). What I appreciated most about this story was that it accepted the fact that some people in this world express their emotions and feelings differently from others. Not to give anything away, but Uncle Jim never smiles. And you wouldn't want him to either. Human beings can place importance in other things, like hard work and discipline. Uncle Jim is one such person.

If I have any objections to this book at all, it comes at the expense of Lydia Grace herself. This is a wonderful character and a great gal, this is not a child. David Small has, for reasons best known to himself, drawn a girl that looks like nothing so much as a shrunken adult. I've never had this objection to any of Mr. Small's characters before, so it was a bit of a shock to me to have such an objection now. Just the same, the eloquent story and excellent evocative scenes more than make up for a flaw that, let's admit it, probably only I could see.

Gardeners get short shrift in books, especially books for kids (unless you count stories like, "The Carrot Seed"). In this particular case, I think anyone,regardless of whether or not they can tell a petunia from a tulip, will enjoy this book. Its pace is a little slower and quieter than that found in other picture books, but for some kids it's just the right combination of simplicity and sweetness.

This book has such an unexpected gut-level impact on everyone who reads it! I have read it aloud to people of all ages and there is never a dry eye in the room! Each of the short letters begins with a date which will be meaningful to anyone who lived through the depression. Oddly enough, disasters and hard times seem to bring out the best in people and this book sets out to show just how that is true. Lydia Grace Finch is such a universally loveable little character - she is unforgettable! The text and the illustrations are so perfectly suited to each other - they seem to have been created by the same person -but they aren't! (Just a "marriage of true minds" I guess.)The book gets at the heart of what a family can give a child even without money - what it means to be poor and what it means to be rich.
This is a lovely gift book for children or adults and I hope it stays in print for a long, long time!

I'm not sure what to add to what other reviewers have already said, but I wanted to cast a 5-star vote for a beautifully written and illustrated story!

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5.0 out of 5 stars A Delight for children and grown-ups alike!
This wonderful book is at the upper scale of the "picture book" variety, aimed at good beginning readers. Read more

Published on Mar 2 2004 by Michael Mathena

5.0 out of 5 stars Tear-jerker, a bit old for most kids though
I read this through three times before handing it over begrudgingly to my niece and her cousin. She's 4 and the cousin is 5. Read more

Published on Feb 27 2002 by Anna Billstrom

5.0 out of 5 stars A delightful story thay wiil grow in your heart
Lydia Grace Finch has been sent to to the city to live with her Uncle Jim while her family struggles with hard times. Read more

Published on May 8 2001 by Mary G. Longorio

5.0 out of 5 stars the gardener
a fellow nurserywoman introduced this wonderful book to our garden club at a meeting,and we were very moved by the touching storyline. Read more

Published on Dec 8 2000

5.0 out of 5 stars The Gardener
Parents be warned! I don't think you can possibly read this story to your child for the first time without crying all the way thru. Read more

Published on Aug 15 2000 by Kathleen Johnson

5.0 out of 5 stars The Gardner
One of the most touching childrens stories I have ever read. A beautiful book.

Published on Jun 13 2000 by L. Drake

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Story That's Great To Read
The list of childrens' books that are wonderful to look at, contain a meaningful, warm story and whose words come smoothly off the tongue is all too short. Read more

Published on Dec 3 1999 by David J. Sullivan

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a wonderful book!
I absolutely love this book! My 5 year old son and I planted a garden this year and I wanted to find a book that helped to reinforce the concept of gardening as not only fun but... Read more

Published on Sep 14 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars Retired? Never!!
As a first year teacher, I am constantly looking for new literature to share with my children. The Reading Specialist at my school shared this book with me as part of our... Read more

Published on Jun 19 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Captivating
We purchased this book for our 5 year old daughter several months ago and it has becomer her favorite. Read more

Published on May 28 1999

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