The Earth and I
"The Earth and I are friends," begins this sentimental picture book in which a boy inventories the many ways he and the planet benefit and enjoy each other. Examples both obvious ("I help her to grow. She helps me to grow" accompanies pictures of the boy tilling soil, then eating food) and inspired ("I dance for her. She dances for me" is paired with the boy raking leaves, then the leaves being blown about by a gust of wind) give way to the book's ultimate "green" message: "When she's sad, I'm sad" captions a view of a scrap heap. The simple text is consistent with Asch's repertoire of very young picture books (Happy Birthday, Moon; Bear Shadow), but it lacks the humor that have made the others preschool classics. He paints a dreamscape of liquidy watercolors, with blues, purples, greens and reds bleeding together in a wash of rainbows that cover both the boy and the earth: hair, clothes, leaves, clouds are each multicolored. Jaded adults may have to stifle a laugh at the final, feel-good illustration, which features the narrator hugging a tree. Ages 3-7.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.