DIGGING TO CHINA
By
The illustrator of Tucking Mommy In (1988)imagines the realization of a common fantasy: Alexis decides to dig her way to China after her grown-up, next-door neighbor friend Marj says: ""It's a shame I've never been there, but now I'm too old for that sort of thing."" Hoping to be back in time for Marj's birthday, Alexis works diligently, but comes all the way home each night for dinner. She finally makes it to China, though, bringing back a picture post-card for Marj. With their rich colors and careful design, Rawlins' colored pencil-and-watercolor illustrations are superior to her straightforward but rather flat text. An attractively packaged expansion of a familiar bit of childhood lore.