Times are rough and Lydia Grace has gone to live with Uncle Jim, the baker who doesn’t smile. Her quiet and lovely story is told through letters to her family, and while the flower seeds her grandma sends her brighten up her surroundings, it is Lydia Grace’s optimism, industry and goodness who inspires those around her. Although we all expect Uncle Jim to smile by the end of the story, “I truly believe that cake equals one thousand smiles.”
Sarah Stewart and David Small collaborate on this nuanced picture book. It is well suited to the study of letter writing, voice and gardening, of course.