A perfect day

K-Gr 2--A minimalist tribute to summer, this book begins with sounds: chirps, croaks, buzzes. Words are used sparingly throughout, to signal the scoring of the season's "symphony," and the art is pared down as well: one vibrant yellow bird, one butterfly, one frog, one snake, some grass fronds. A few flowers suggest a meadow, five trees make a grove. But the scarlet petals, brilliant blue sky, and red fox pop against flat backgrounds. The plot is merely the passage of time and weather. There is a fork of lightning, a page of rain-streaks and curved stalks--the storm brings drums, cymbals, and maracas, then passes. The depthless art might evoke Japanese prints, or equally honor the simplicity and space of a region that resembles the midwest. First published in France, the book seeks readers who can appreciate stylized illustrations and respond to the soundtrack of nature. VERDICT Subtle, graphically sophisticated in its focus, like Yerkes's other titles, this book asks readers to pause thoughtfully, look closely, and take in the music.--Patricia D. Lothrop, formerly at St. George's Sch., Newport, RI

A day that "begins in peaceful harmony" erupts into a summer storm that is likened to a symphony. Fine-lined illustrations in colored pencils capture a morning in nature. It's a soothing, onomatopoeic adventure, a "melody" that runs through the day: Birds chirp; crickets go "Cree-cree!"; wasps buzz; frogs croak; and snakes hiss. Suddenly, there is a "Whoosh!" of wind; thunder crashes, and lightning strikes. A hard rain falls. With simple sentences, Yerkes transforms the storm into a musical performance. The gathering winds are drums rolling; the thunder is cymbals crashing; and the driving rain is the "maracas mark[ing] the rhythm." The delicate linework is especially captivating: Graceful apricot lines swirl to become a paper wasps' nest; elegant circles in sky blue make room, within the page's negative space, for a frog's lily pad; a fox, whose copper-colored fur pops off the page, wanders through delicate, feathery grasses; and spreads with vertical lines dominating (tree branches reaching for the sky and tall grasses) begin to lean right as the winds pick up. Readers are then treated to a beguiling full-bleed, wordless spread of the driving rain--a series of parallel diagonal lines, creating gradients in color (shades of blues and lavenders) and space. Spreads are expertly composed with a brilliant use of white space that lets the story breathe. When the rain subsides, a vividly colored yellow bird shakes water off its feathers on this "perfect summer day." Exquisite. (Picture book. 3-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.