The Gardener is a rich, heartwarming story about a young girl named Lydia Grace who is sent to live with her uncle in the big city. Set during the depression era, the book is written as a series of letters from Lydia Grace to the family she had to leave back home. With a few bulbs and seed packets, she transforms her uncle’s bakery and rooftop patio into a lush garden and cheerful place through her determination, green thumb, and generosity. The Gardener is a 1997 New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of the Year and a 1998 Caldecott Honor Book. Some of the activities in this unit are building a block flower shop, seed sensory play, and writing a friendly letter.