R
otner's and Woodhull's (Colors Around Us
) handsome photographic essay enfolds readers in the diversity of the four seasons. A simple layout (borderless, rectangular photos of assorted sizes against a white backdrop) shows off colorful pictorial highlights of spring, summer, autumn and winter. Though most pictures are of fairly commonplace seasonal subjects—children cradling cuddly creatures in spring or sitting amidst a pile of pumpkins in the fall—their familiarity should be comfortingly appealing. Exceptions to this everyday subject matter are the stunning full-page bleeds that begin each season (spring opens with spiky blades of green grass, autumn with bright yellow boots amid a pile of golden maple leaves). The eye-catching hues of these close-ups evoke the essence of a season. Short, direct sentences such as, “Showers soak. Seeds sprout. Flowers bloom,” maintain the book's poetic tone, as each section segues effortlessly into the next utilizing a repeated pattern. “We taste strawberries, lemonade, watermelon, ice-cream.... Summer is a time to splash and swim. But then autumn comes and... I love autumn too.” The letters of individual words occasionally appear to fall, bounce or scatter across a page, mirroring the actions they describe. With this book as a reminder, young readers will agree that with so much to relish throughout the year, it's difficult to pick a favorite season. Ages 4-8. (May)
