APPLE FARMER ANNIE

Annie owns and tends her own small apple orchard in this visually robust salute to a favorite fruit. Although constantly accompanied by her cheerful-looking dog and cat, Annie does all the work herself. She picks the ripe apples, then she sorts them by variety. In the next several pages, readers learn many of the tasty treats that can be derived from apples as she makes sweet cider, smooth applesauce, muffins, pies, and cakes. She saves the best-looking apples to take to the farmers market in the city. There, she sells the round beauties as well as some of the delicacies she has made from them. This is certainly not the most plot-driven story, but it has much to offer both the eyes and the mind. Wellington, perhaps best known for All My Little Ducklings, has outdone herself with the bursting, ripe brightness of her illustrations. The apples look good enough to eat. Many of the pages contain a little something to challenge young minds. There is sorting and counting, object-naming, sign identification, even a little money-counting. For the family that has become a bit hungry while reading, Wellington closes with a few recipes from the tantalizing goodies named in the story. Sweet and crisp. (Picture book. 3-7)