cover image Gabby and Grandma Go Green

Gabby and Grandma Go Green

Monica Wellington, Dutton, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-525-42214-3

In this earnest picture book, carrot-top Gabby spends a day with her grandmother celebrating the environment. They sew their own reusable grocery bags, visit a farmer's market, and check out books about "save the Earth" projects from the library. Gabby and Grandma's activities are rendered in sunny gouache and photo collage, while tips and reminders about protecting the planet appear on sidewalks, signs, and in border art ("Save those scraps for compost," shouts a recurring mouse character who, with his megaphone, comes across as just a little hectoring). Though the overall effect is rather instructional, Wellington energetically weaves an optimistic green message into an urban backdrop. Ages 3–5. (Mar.)