My Favorite Time of Year

A playful book evokes the seasons, beginning with fall, and, as nature changes, centers on family life. From watching geese, to the long wait for snow, to the snowman wearing the tie of Daddy's that Mommy hates, the text is full of fetching details and enlivened with one-liners. ""We look like a department store,'' Kelley says, bundling into layers for winter. And every season, someone in the family says, ``This is my favorite time of year.'' Nobody ever grumbles that it's too hot, too cold or that yard work is tedious; the glimpses of annual rites are what count here. A simple, clear idea, and Wallner's beautifully unified design and illustrations add an old-fashioned, never sentimental charm to a book for all seasons. Ages 4-8. (March)