OLIVER'S VEGETABLES

Oliver likes french fries, pretty much to the exclusion of all other food. So when he goes to spend a week at his grandparents' home, they promise him his favorites only if he can find the taters in the garden. Whatever else he pulls up during the search he must eat each night for dinner. Thus Oliver is introduced to carrots, spinach, rhubarb, cabbage, beets, and peas, all of which he thinks are delicious. Introducing young readers to the bounty and magic of a garden, French (Under the Moon, 1994, etc.) establishes a particularly fine point of departure, in no small part the result of Bartlett's stunning illustrations in her first book. Deploying the fiery richness of acrylic paints, her broad, voluptuous brushstrokes convey extraordinary sophistication and character; she captures gestures succinctly, as when Oliver expectantly clutches his foot behind his back, hopping about as his grandfather digs up a dozen dearly won potatoes from the patch. Generous and nourishing fare.