Spring is for strawberries

A family farm and a city farmer's market are the backdrops for a journey through the seasons--and the stages of a new friendship--in this thoughtful look at nature's bounty. After a winter spent "waiting,/ wondering," a white-presenting farm family plants the fruits and vegetables they'll eventually take to market. First up are spring strawberries, "staining lips heart red" as a child from the farm shares a juicy bowl of the berries with a city child visiting the market with their Black- and white-presenting parents. Months pass as the two families bond over seasonal foods--peaches, melons, corn, apples, pumpkins--and visit each other's neighborhoods before winter arrives and everyone, Pryor writes, is "waiting for that first red fruit/ when springtime blooms again." The cheery-faced figures at the humming market stands, and the tempting rainbow of produce, make Gortman's mixed-media paintings feel like friendly "buy local" posters. Back matter offers information about strawberry varietals. Ages 4--8. (Mar.)

Join families in this town as they embrace the seasons and eat locally via their farmers market. Lyrical verse with plenty of rhyme and alliteration guides readers through the year. While "winter is for waiting," spring is for planting and sprouting and then shopping for "strawberries, / staining lips heart red," sugar peas, and leafy greens at the farmers market. Spring is also for lemonade, and the lilac sunset behind an informal baseball practice radiates with the vibrancy of late spring and summer. Summer is for fruit that's sweet and juicy enough to "slurp" down: "peppers, melons, corn on the cob, / a rainbow of tomatoes." Fall brings cool winds, golden leaves, jack-o'-lanterns, and feasts along with apples, beets, and squash. Winter arrives again, with evergreen wreaths, snowflakes, a cupboard full of summer's bounty, the dismantling of the farmers market, and a new round of waiting for springtime blooms. Throughout the year, illustrations with a palette reflecting the ripest produce show a growing friendship between two children, one of whom is Black-presenting, the other of whom is light-skinned. The community is racially diverse; a character is depicted using a wheelchair. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A delightful blend of friendship, fresh food, melodious language, and luscious illustrations. (information about strawberries and eating seasonally and locally) (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.