Aunt Lily's Laundromat

Aunt Lilly works in a Brooklyn laundromat, sorting, washing, drying and folding, all the while thinking about her childhood in Haiti. Bundles of colored laundry (``blues and greens like the warm Caribbean sea''), gurgling washing machines, etc., conspire to remind her of ``her lovely native land filled with singing birds.'' Lilly is happy, taking pride in her work, and when she has a quiet moment she makes paintings based on her childhood memories. Busy illustrations in bold, luminous colors capture Lilly's joie de vivre. ``Her'' Haitian pictures, full of exuberance and tropical abundance, transform her sweet longing into canvases of pulsing island life. Greenberg's work has a childlike zest and, at the same time, is imbued with a strong sense of order and design. Her book succeeds as a celebration of fond memory and honest labor. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)