I have long been a fan of David Small’s genius for picture book illustration. The much-awarded Gardener, 1997, demonstrates his exceptional gifts for: line-and-color technique, perfectly placed details and peripheral visuals, well-developed characters (especially grumpy Uncle Jim), and dynamic compositions. What the MacMillan Publishing website samples show are important narrative episodes, but what is not seen here are the two-page spreads in which triangular, spatial arrangements of narrative interests usually move from left to right. The Gardener is composed entirely of two-page spreads, most of them anchored by an accompanying letter. This particular book is a virtuoso display of linear perspective too, but it never gets in the way. Maybe that’s another highest compliment earned by Small’s genius—it never gets in the way.