Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 2^-5, younger for reading aloud. This attractive companion to Autumn (1997) and Spring (1999) combines clever acrostic word poems with glowing linoleum-cut prints by Leslie Evans, one page for each letter of the alphabet. Caught by the word game of reading the letters vertically, children will also enjoy the simple physicality of the brief poems and the bright active pictures that capture the fun and beauty of the season. One of the best is Beach (Blankets and umbrellas / Endless miles of sand / And the / Constant / Hum of wind and waves" ). There's a sense of the season's passing as yawls and sailboats are hauled out of the water, and the stars of autumn can be seen in the clear Zodiac of the sky. The setting is a cabin in the mountains close by a glittering blue lake, but the images reach out everywhere. Crossword buffs will enjoy the play and so will readers, writers, and artists in classrooms and libraries, especially in summer. --Hazel Rochman
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Steven Schnur adds Summer, illus. by Leslie Evans, to his list of acrostic poetry collections that already includes Autumn and Spring. Bright beach umbrellas and tiger lilies fill the linoleum-cut illustrations; they capture summer days where "Fourth of July banners wave from/ Lampposts, front porches,/ And the village/ Grandstand as the parade/ Streams by." The mainstays from Memorial Day to Labor DayÄthe beach, mosquitoes, a lighthouseÄare all here. ( Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3-Twenty-six striking linoleum prints each hold a box of non-rhyming text. The first letter of each line, read vertically, spells a word relating to summer and the poem's topic, e.g., "awning," "beach," "mosquito," "hike." Like Schnur's Autumn (1997), Spring (1999), and Winter (2002, all Clarion), this volume provides both visual and aural delight. (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Winsome summertime images of beaches, hiking, and picnics are captured in hand-colored linoleum block illustrations and brief free verse poems that celebrate the season, from the longest days of the year to the appearance of autumn's twinkling constellations. The text is arranged acrostic-style, so that the first letter of each line spells out the word being described. From HORN BOOK Fall 2001, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
In the wake of Autumn (1997) and Spring (1999) come 26 more seasonal scenes, accompanying ingenious acrostic poems: " B lankets and umbrellas, / E ndless miles of sand, / A nd one / C onstant / H um of wind and waves." In serene, neatly composed linoleum cuts filled with subtly modulated colors trimmed by the perfect use of the black line, Evans depicts shoreline and small town, gazebo, luxuriant gardens, and a picnic table crowded with goodies, all laid out for the enjoyment of a multiethnic cast of young folk. " Z igzag lines / O f stars / D ivide the heavens / I nto / A utumn's twinkling / C onstellations," over a backyard campout to signal summer's end. It's another tour de force, as blissfully evocative as it is technically accomplished. Should be inspiration for classrooms, poets, and wordworkers. (Picture book/poetry. 6-8)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
