Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
All about the seasons
Nonfiction Picture Book
For ages 5 to 7
Clavis Books, 2015 ISBN: 978-1605372037
You may think that you know all there is to know about the seasons. Winter is cold; spring is a time when plants start growing again; summer is hot; and fall is when plants and animals start to get ready for the winter. These statements are true of course, but there are so many other things to learn about the seasons.
In this book the author has found a way to share all kinds of interesting information about the seasons with young readers. He has taken photos to which he has added images and doodles to make them amusing or whimsical. On every double page spread, the photos are accompanied by sections of informative text about the featured seasonal topic. Readers will also find a doodle and a question at the bottom of every right hand page. Children will enjoy trying to answer the questions as they go through the book.
Our seasonal exploration begins with fall. The first thing we learn is that fall is a time when it starts getting colder, and often storms fill the sky with clouds, rain and wind. We are told that the wind makes trees “sway back and forth” and leaves drift down from the branches. In a little doodle that has been added to a photo we see that there is an umbrella that is airborne as well, and a little dog is having a hard time walking forward because of the wind.
At the bottom of the right-hand page there is a doodle showing four animals. Two are clearly happy and two are looking decidedly unhappy. We are asked, “Which animals like the wind? Which animals don’t?”
We go on to find out about how the leaves on some trees change color in fall, how wheat is harvested into bales, how pumpkins are ready to be picked in the fall, and how squirrels work hard to gather food at this time of year.
Other topics covered in the book include snowstorms and “Winter Sleepers,” in winter; flowering trees and “Snuffling noses” in spring; and blooming flowers and beach animals in the summer.
Throughout the book the engaging text has an easygoing conversational feel that will appeal to children and make them feel that the author is talking to them about a subject that he clearly finds interesting.
