In the Garden: Who's Been Here?
Kindergarten-Grade 2 On a summer morning, Mother asks Christina and Jeremy to pick some vegetables from the garden. As the story progresses, readers learn that the garden has been invaded by a rabbit hopping by, a chipmunk eating sunflower seeds, a slug leaving a telltale trail of slime, and a crow pecking at some kernels of corn. There's a relaxed attitude to all this; it's not overtly stated but certainly implied that these visitors are welcome and part of the cycle of nature. The narrative ends happily with Mom offering a plate of cookies and a pitcher of milk, so even the humans get some nourishment. There is a distinct pattern to the straightforward text and to the book's design as well (pages with white space alternate with colorful spreads). While the illustrations don't have the depth of the finest nature paintings, and the renditions of people look a bit stiff, they are attractive and accessible. Not an essential purchase, but a worthwhile one.Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, ILCopyright &copy; Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.