GO, LITTLE GREEN TRUCK!

A little green truck is the farm’s best work truck, until he is replaced by a bigger and better model.

Little Green is proud to work on the farm. He has sturdy tires, a shiny coat of bright green paint, and a front fender that curves into a winning smile. He scoots around, picking up packages from town and doing chores. But one day he hears the “Ehrr-ruh-ruh-ruh-ruh!” sound of a bigger, boastful truck. Big Blue seems to say, “I’m the biggest. I’m the bluest. I’m the best.” Poor Little Green is left out in the pasture to rust. (It’s the saddest picture of dismal abandonment one has ever seen, though he does have butterflies and birds to keep him company). Luckily, the farmer’s daughter, Fern, has a brilliant plot to revive Little Green. They spiff him up and use him to transport crops to the farmers market—a gentle, delicate job. Little Green lives up to his color more than ever: he is now fueled with biodiesel and does his part to support sustainable agriculture. Kuo’s lush, folk-art meadows roll across the pages to round out the farm, outlined in white instead of black and textured with dotted grass accents. The effect achieves a nostalgic yet trendy feel that works well with Little Green’s two incarnations.

A familiar trope with a subtle, ecological twist