Year round

Weber stirringly organizes a northerly annum's chronology into winter questions, spring feelings, summer wishes, and fall thoughts in this exuberant seasonal accounting, which features appealing, perspective-distorted gouache and acrylic paintings. Winter's rhyming queries center around short-day experiences: "Can you peel a clementine all in one go?// Can you hear the hushushush of the falling snow?" Vernal changes evoke emotional highs and lows, with art suggesting a dual interpretation of "bouts of butterflies, fluttering thunder." Summer wishes prove largely of the ice cream and waterplay variety, with one gorgeous tapestry-like sunset image representing the solstice. Finally, autumn happenings take on an academic tone as lines remark upon lessons, and a closing school-set scene jovially invites readers to embrace year-round connection. The book's playful vibe, and mixture of introspective musings and emblematic moments, give it an enduring appeal. Figures are depicted with various skin tones. Ages 4--8. (Oct.)

Dividing the year into "Winter Questions," "Spring Feelings," "Summer Wishes," and "Fall Thoughts," Weber takes a decidedly offbeat look at the seasons. A diverse group of children playfully cavort through various seasonal ruminations; some are straightforward, such as a winter query: "Can you peel a clementine all in one go?" Others take a more reflective approach, as when the author/illustrator reflects on anxiety: "Bouts of butterflies, fluttering thunder." Weber's gouache and acrylic paintings in pastel colors have a light, almost delicate feel, and the rounded figures of the children and curves of the objects and landscapes convey a comforting ambiance. The simple, loose rhyming text at times feels a mite obscure ("I know the Earth is big and round, and what has gone might come again"), but it offers moments for curious listeners to reflect and pose their own questions. The book is framed by a scene at the beginning of each season; as the "Winter Questions" begin, a trunk and four drawers stand alone in what appears to be a schoolroom setting. As the seasons progress, the contents are deconstructed, and their uses become ever more multifaceted as the active children grow and learn. A whimsical offering that will intrigue the inquisitive child and encourage creative interpretations.(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.