FICTION

Now It Is Summer

by Eileen SPINELLI
978-0-80285-340-0.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2—A young mouse repeatedly inquires, "Will it be autumn soon?" He thinks about leaves and pumpkins, and riding the school bus. His mother assures him all those things will come soon enough, "but now it is summer." She reminds him of all the pleasures to enjoy—sun, lemonade, bare feet, and beach balls. The soft acrylic paintings in muted colors show a nondescript mouse family and set a calm, loving tone but lack the seasonal details of the text, which is best suited to lap or independent reading. The pattern of the text quickly becomes predictable, almost lulling, while encouraging children to enjoy each season's beauty without rushing. More a lesson on waiting patiently than on summer or fall, this is an additional purchase for most collections.—Julie R. Ranelli, Queen Anne's County Free Library, Stevensville, MD
In summertime, a mouse peppers his mother with autumn questions (e.g., "Will I leap laughing into leaves / heaped high in the backyard?"). Patiently, she urges him to savor the now: "You can tippy-toe into the gurgling surf... / There are soap bubbles to blow..." Spinelli's lyrical text evokes both seasons, while DePalma's luminous acrylics show the mice reveling in summer activities.
Reviewed by Julie R. Ranelli , May 01, 2011

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