Dirt Cheap

Every great businessperson starts out small. Hoffmann’s (Fruit Bowl) unseen interlocutor introduces readers to Birdie, a girl with huge yellow glasses who yearns for a XR1000 Super Extreme Soccer Ball that costs $24.95: “It’s so beautiful. I want it. I need it!” she tells the audience. “Well,” says the narrator, “soccer balls cost money. How much ya got?” The answer is zilch—until Birdie, noticing how she’s surrounded by yards and gardens, starts selling the dirt from her yard at 25¢ a bag. As the colorful acrylic and pencil drawings depict the customers literally piling up, readers also get a lesson in money-related computation—Birdie discovers that 25¢ can be five nickels, 25 pennies, and so on. But the joy of owning the XR1000 is short-lived; now Birdie has no yard to play in, and in a wordless, bird’s-eye view spread, Birdie’s parents emerge from the front door and discover the trench that now encircles their house. Capitalism to the rescue again—only no more selling stuff. Birdie earns the money to replace the dirt by entering the gig economy: “Try Birdie’s Lawn Care.” Can an IPO be far behind? Ages 3–7. (Apr.) Correction: A previous version of this review misstated the author's last name.