The Four Seasons/Las c­uatro ­estaciones

Gr 2-4–This informational book introduces primary grade readers to the seasons. Each chapter centers on one of the four seasons apart from chapter one, which examines general features of the changing seasons, and chapter six, which recapitulates the benefits of having different seasons. The narrative is built on sentences that teach facts rather than on prose, a framework that works well with the literal Spanish translation. This book is designed to be read between a caregiver and a child who is a close to proficient reader. The text for the caregiver to read is on the left-hand side set to longer paragraphs over a pastel background, and the text for the child is on the right-hand side, set to two or three sentences over a white background. The paragraphs contain some bold vocabulary words in both languages to help readers relate to the text. This asymmetrical setting is accompanied by close-up, colorful iStock photography that complements the text as readers learn about each season. Although the author mentions México and Hawaii, most images capture the seasons from the northern hemisphere’s viewpoint with snowy winters, forestry autumns, and dates that do not correlate with the change of seasons in the southern hemisphere. The back matter contains a glossary defining the solstices, equinoxes, and questions to engage readers.