How to say hello to a worm: A first guide to outside by Kari Percival

 This sweet debut picture book is a little scattered in organization, but makes up for it with attractive illustrations and a charming message.

Vivid green endpages lead the reader into the first spread which asks "How do you plant lettuce seeds?" and pictures three children sprinkling seeds, patting the earth, and pouring on water. The book continues with a diverse group of children, shown with different skin colors, crutches and leg braces, and glasses, as they explore outdoors. They plant seeds, play in the dirt, observe insects, watch strawberries ripen, and finally harvest the garden, including giant lettuce heads and those longed-for peas.

Back matter offers some simple tips on growing items for kids and suggestions for adults on gardening with toddlers, including allowing exploration, safety tips, and how old should a child be.

This is a very simple introduction; all the plants grow with no problems, there are no pests, and despite playing in the dirt the toddlers appear relatively clean throughout the story. But that's ok! It's meant to encourage families to get out and play in the dirt and try gardening, not as an exhaustive guide, and the charming collage-style illustrations are encouraging for those who haven't explored outside before. I'm always looking for books that are aimed at a toddler audience and we do a lot of outdoor/gardening programming, so this is a perfect fit for our library.

Verdict: Use this in gardening storytimes or pick out bits and pieces for an outdoor program or interaction with toddlers. It's a good starting book for young gardeners and would pair especially well with some of Asia Citro's activity books for summer, outdoor library programs. The diverse children pictured, especially one with mobility aids, bumps this up from additional to a must-have title.

ISBN: 9780593226797; Published February 2022 by Rise X Penguin Workshop; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library