The Little Green Girl

Mr. Aster, a peaceful gardener dressed in a sweater vest and cap, doesn’t like his routine disrupted. Even so, he welcomes a “Little Green Girl”—a seedling—into his care. She sprouts in the greenhouse, and Mr. Aster plants the girl in his walled garden as a topiary. Anchin gently anthropomorphizes the green girl: she has a pineapplelike face and head, leafy limbs, and a shaggy green skirt. When birds visit and tell her of all the sights to be seen beyond the gates, she longs to travel. At last, she convinces Mr. Aster to leave their roots behind, replanting herself in a pot, and the two explore a beach, a forest, a city park, and a desert before returning to the garden. Anchin provides an uplifting message about growing up, leaving comfort zones, embracing opportunities—and the pleasures of travel and home. Ages 3–5. [em](Apr.) [/em]