SWEET STRAWBERRIES

Life is a whole lot easier for the considerate and patient, according to Naylor’s tale of tolerance. As a couple, set in their ways and comfortable as two old shoes, make their weekly trip into town to sell their fish, the husband complains and yells the entire way. The impatient man grumbles at a girl herding a flock of geese, a sleeping gate boy, and a wagon parked in his usual spot. When he ends the unpleasant outing by refusing his wife’s request for some pretty, plump strawberries, she explodes, calling him stingy, selfish, lazy, impatient, and complaining—qualities he has scorned in others along the way. Shaken by his wife’s outburst and subsequent silence, the man attempts to cheer her and takes a more pleasant and respectful tack during their next trip. His cheer is returned by others, and he is surprised at how they seem to have changed for the better in a week’s time. Kaye’s expressive characters and textured landscape paintings enhance the charm of this entertaining tale. (Picture book. 4-8)