The villagers get into jealous arguments about their plan to create a splendid garden for their emperor, but these are happily resolved when the emperor himself comes to visit.
Wanda mistakes a thornbush for a rosebush in the empty lot. She clears away the trash around it and cares for it every day, even though no roses bloom.
Rhyming verses and illustrations introduce the letters of the alphabet and describe how a garden is planned and planted, how things grow, and the joy a garden brings.
A little girl thinks her mother's garden is the ugliest in the neighborhood until she discovers that flowers might look and smell pretty but Chinese vegetable soup smells best of all. Includes a recipe.