ON SALLY PERRY'S FARM
by Leah Komaiko & illustrated by Cat Bowman Smith
Sally Perry's farm is a modest spread, as readers learn only toward the end of the tale, a back forty between brownstones. Sally herself is an amiable old soul, possessed of an indomitable spirit that attracts kids like flowers do butterflies. They swarm about her garden, buffing the tractor, sampling the harvest, invading her garden shed, building immensely satisfying playthings. One child is unsure of her usefulness. Sally leads the girl past her insecurities; she believes in fun first, and if some effort fails: ``Simple—next time we'll try something again.'' Komaiko (Fritzi Fox Flew In From Florida, 1995, etc.) gives her text a strong beat, ablaze with clever rhyming sequences. All the while, Sally's can-do attitude feels more like a jolly outlook than a message to readers. Smith's vivacious gouache illustrations have the texture of cake frosting, with bold outlines and gestures of a Toulouse-Lautrec cranked into color overdrive or of a Marcia Sewall gone unruly. Good, solid exuberance. (Picture book. 3-8)