It’s rare to find a picture book that does such an excellent job of instilling enthusiasm among children for the treasures of the outdoors, so this is a welcome addition to the juvenile bookshelf. Aside from relating the importance of making compost and the existence of ocean-borne garbage that washes up onto the beach, the book’s author really isn’t looking to send any topical messages your kid’s way. The planting of seeds and the fall harvest are momentous enough.
     It’s worth noting, though, that Outside Your Window’s publication takes place during a season when “The Lorax” is one of the biggest hits in movie theaters, based on Dr. Seuss’s much-beloved children’s book. The mini controversy that has erupted over the movie’s conservationist message is rather perplexing and begs the question when it came to be that parents would defend to their children the notion of cutting down every last tree. It’s hard to remember any such debates about the movie’s source material, which has been a popular read among children for four decades, though things are apparently much different in 2012.