Apple Valley Year

This quiet picture book focuses on a hardworking family in an old-fashioned farming community. The Clarks of Apple Valley tend a vast apple orchard which is the cornerstone of their livelihood. Each season brings new wonders of nature--and new chores to do. In spring Ralph Clark brings his beehives to the blossoming trees to aid in the pollination process. Summertime means the first appearances of green-red fruit, and the family reinforces branches laden with apples. A big harvest means new school shoes and a bit of security--as Sarah Clark says, ``A good apple sale makes a good year.'' Turner's unadorned text has a slightly stilted rhythm and her no-nonsense vocabulary conveys lots of information within the framework of a family profile. Resnick's debut features rustic folk art acrylics in lively variations of countryside greens, ambers and blues. Consistent with the style, her human and animal figures are stiffly rendered, but they nicely complement the earthy backgrounds. Ages 5-8. (Sept.)