Rusty's Red Vacation

Working with only white space, black line and one primary color per book, film animator and first-time author Asbury creates a unified reading series. Each book features a child narrator and sly references to color. Redhead Rusty describes a camping trip with his family and his hound, Ruby (who begs comparison to another big red dog, Clifford); in the forest, cardinals play among redwood trees. Blonde Yolanda rides the bus to the Sunshine School, snacks on a banana and paints a sunflower. Brunette Bonnie and her cat, Bluebonnet, spend a typical day at home; Bonnie plays in the swimming pool and eats blueberry pie. Asbury's medium (a black crayon matched with either a red, yellow or blue one) couldn't be simpler, and his woodblock-print-like compositions are technically solid. He makes strategic use of color concepts, like the red gingham tablecloth at Rusty's picnic, the canary in Yolanda's classroom and the blue water in Bonnie's backyard pool. After picking out all the red, yellow and blue objects here, readers may want to name other everyday sights that come in primary colors. Asbury makes the most of his three-tone concept; this trio is impressively focused and well executed. Ages 2-6. (Apr.)