THE GREEN CHILD

A sprite invites youngsters to make a difference.

When springtime comes and “green leaves begin to sprout and grow,” a brown-skinned, flora-bonneted sprite known as the Green Child stretches awake and dances her way through the season, accompanied by all manner of woodland creatures. Summer dazzles its way in, all heat and growth, until the high temperatures become overwhelming—a reference to climate change. The Green Child determines that she needs to raise awareness to help safeguard the planet. She ventures outside the forest, finding a child to inspire, who will carry forward her message that “the world is much too hot.” Outside of leaf-wielding children spreading the message, however, it’s not clear how this change will happen. Teckentrup’s lush illustrations are soft, detailed, and colorful, and the rhythm and cadence of Hughes’ verse is appealing. Though the scenes of outdoor revelry are engaging and will resonate with children, the message of climate change and deeply needed action will likely go over the heads of the intended audience. The book may provoke questions that have no easy answers; Hughes does not offer much help in working out what we can do to answer the Green Child's call.

A charming story that doesn’t quite hit the mark.