If it's 2018, then the kids must be coding.This bright and cheery picture book introduces young readers to coding concepts through garden planting and backyard play. Two girls named Adi and Gabi learn about if/then statements through naturally occurring conditions and outcomes, such as: "If the weather is dry, then they water the plants." Karanja touches lightly on what happens when the computer is not given the right instructions with a Simon Says-like game and progresses to a playful explanation of debugging. Exercises help readers test their understanding, and a glossary explains the computer science terms. While the author's approach is simple and easy to understand, it seems like an odd choice to start with conditional statements without mentioning more basic concepts such as breaking down big tasks into smaller steps, sequencing instructions, etc. The treatment of conditionals is itself incomplete since "else" statements are never mentioned. And without the scaffolding of a real problem that needs solving, the concepts carry little weight. Adi and her mother are brown-skinned with dark curls, while Gabi has lighter skin and straight hair.An accessible but somewhat underdeveloped introduction to coding for the younger set. (Picture book. 3-7)

Adi and Gabi, two friends, demonstrate the fundamentals of coding. In Whitehouse-s cheerful cartoon art, the friends pick fruits and vegetables, all the while using if-then statements: -If a tomato is red, then put it in the basket. If the tomato is green, then leave it on the vine.- Karanja, a developer and designer, explains that -in coding, If/Then statements are called conditional statements.- The kids next play their own, Simon Says-like if-then game, with one acting as the programmer and the other as the computer: -If the Programmer does a jumping jack, then the Computer does a cartwheel.- When Gabi skips a cartwheel, it is explained that bugs sometimes happen in coding (in this case, Gabi-s hands got covered in squished tomato). Karanja inventively uses gardening as an accessible entry point to the world of coding. Ages 5-8. (Sept.)