Arthur Turns Green

K-Gr 2—Arthur the aardvark likes being green, and he's excited to show his family how they can follow suit. But when the day comes to reveal the Big Green Machine project he's been working on at school, his younger sister D.W. refuses to go near it. She has seen how it turned Arthur's and her dad's hands green, and she doesn't want to be next. This addition to the Arthur canon gives children plenty of options for making the planet a better place to live. His friend Buster's garbage-reduction solution is meant to be humorous, but the examples given for recycling and conserving energy are all activities children can carry out daily. Simple phrases ("he took the shortest shower ever") ensure that the tips will be remembered, and when illustrated, become tangible concepts. This is an issue-oriented story, but the pace is relaxed and thoughtful. Arthur leads by example and shows how making green choices can be uncomplicated, rewarding, and fun.—Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada