The Gardener by Sarah Stewart

I mentioned The Friend, the first book I read by Sarah Stewart, on here a few months ago. It made me cry. 

Yesterday I read another of her books which did the exact same thing. In fact, my husband walked in, saw me crying and read the book for himself. Stewart's husband, David Small, offers poignant pictures in this simple story told through the letters of a girl living away from her family during the 1930's.  When she is sent to live with her uncle, a baker in the city, she is determined to make the stern man smile. She finds a secret place where she can plant the flowers she loves and with the help of new friends, makes it beautiful.

If you're looking for an uplifting, beautifully told story, I recommend The Gardener.

Something Beautiful by Sharon Dennis Wyeth

Wyeth's Something Beautiful really is a beautiful book. Chris K. Soentpiet's realistic pictures show a young girl's search for something beautiful in her inner city world. In  her search she learns how others are able to find beauty in spite of the hard life and harsh surroundings of the city.

This was a fantastic way to introduce the idea of beauty in simple things: a piece of fruit, a smooth stone, a smile and helping others.  I hope to reintroduce this book as my children grow and are able to grasp the idea of beauty on different levels.

Jungle Drums by Graeme Base

I've mentioned Graeme Base before as an author who does more in his books than just write a cute story and pair it with illustrations. He always goes beyond the simple story to a deeper meaning and his pictures invite you to observe more than what your eye initially sees.

Such is the case with Jungle Drums, a story about a warthog who thinks he and his fellow warthogs pale in comparison to the other jungle animals with their feathers and stripes and spots. When he receives a pair of magic drums that will grant his wishes, what happens is a  feast for the mind and eye.