Every Season by Anne Love Woodhull, Shelley Rotner, Shelley Rotner (Photographer)

From the Publisher

Is Spring your favorite, when salamanders crawl out from under messy rocks? Is it Winter, when buds are waiting, covered in white? The narrator of this aural and visual treat takes readers on a stunning, cyclical journey through all four seasons. With an eloquent text and spectacular photos, this is a book that will not only inform, but enchant.

Publishers Weekly

Rotner'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)

Linda L. WalkinsCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information. - School Library Journal

Gr 1-3
This evocative photo-essay combines appealing full-color photographs with simple unrhymed verse to celebrate the unique qualities of each season. Beginning with the statement, "I love spring," the enthusiastic narrator highlights the natural changes, leisure activities, and delicious foods enjoyed during each time of year. In spring, "grass grows green," "Crocuses pop," and "We hold rabbits,/lambs,/ puppies,/and chicks." During summer, "The sun/shines strong/and hot," "Shorebirds scurry and peck," and we "splash and swim" in ocean waves. Autumn is for tasting "apples,/pears,/and pies" and watching "Chipmunks/store acorns/in a secret/spot." In winter, "We make snow angels/then sip hot chocolate." Some words within the text are printed in a concrete fashion to reflect their meaning (the letters in "scatter" spread across the page, as if blown by an autumn breeze). The book comes full circle, repeating the opening line on the final page. A large photo introduces each season, followed by spreads featuring a mixture of images of varying sizes and compositions. The artistic pictures-depicting smiling children, colorful animals, and inviting natural settings-and accompanying text perfectly capture the joys of each season. This should be a year-round favorite.

Kirkus Reviews

The team from Colors Around Us (1996) offers a similar reflection on the four seasons in (s)light free verse and high-resolution photographs, but no flaps this time. First comes spring, "when grass grows green" and flowers open and baby animals are huggable. Summer highlights include frolics in the water, going barefoot in the grass and the taste of fresh fruit. In autumn, "we pull up our hoods," watch the leaves turn and fall and watch the geese head south. In winter, snow blankets branches and buds, chickadees search for seeds and children drink hot chocolate, awaiting the next arrival of . . . spring! A generous serving of beautiful photographs (74 altogether) tells most of the story, with precision. And the minimal text deftly supports them, with a few typographical tricks (like the letters of "roar" getting progressively bigger). Harmonious achievement with subtle learning. (Picture book. 3-7)

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