Everyone in the neighborhood seems to be planting their spring gardens, none of which are like the garden planted by the mother of the Chinese-American girl featured in this story. Although she’s originally self- conscious about the differences, come harvest time she is pleasantly surprised by all the attention the neighbors pay the “ugly vegetables” -- her mom’s Chinese vegetable soup is definately a roaring success enjoyed by all the neighbors who have been invited to share it. Based on the author/artist’s own childhood memories, the story concludes with her family recipe for Ugly Vegetable Soup. (Ages 3-6)

It's easy to appreciate a garden exploding with colorful flowers and fragrances, but what do you do with a patch of ugly vegetables? Author/illustrator Grace Lin recalls such a garden in this charming and eloquent story. The neighbors' gardens look so much prettier and so much more inviting to the young gardener than the garden of "black-purple-green vines, fuzzy wrinkled leaves, prickly stems, and a few little yellow flowers" that she and her mother grow. Nevertheless, mother assures her that "these are better than flowers." Come harvest time, everyone agrees as those ugly Chinese vegetables become the tastiest, most aromatic soup they have ever known. As the neighborhood comes together to share flowers and ugly vegetable soup, the young gardener learns that regardless of appearances, everything has its own beauty and purpose. THE UGLY VEGETABLES springs forth with the bright and cheerful colors of blooming flowers and bumpy, ugly vegetables. Grace Lin's colorful, playful illustrations pour forth with abundant treasures. Complete with a guide to the Chinese pronunciation of the vegetables and the recipe for ugly vegetable soup! Try it . . . you'll love it, too!