Summer Wonders
Suggesting all that is right about a summer day, this sunny picture book portrays children outdoors with their family and friends, enjoying warm weather and special pleasures such as gardening, a parade, and a sandy beach. The opening words, “Divers, / swimmers, / flat rock skimmers. / Joggers, walkers, / sidewalk chalkers,” are illustrated in three spreads. Using just a few words and/or a pithy phrase on each double-page spread, the text suggests plenty of possibilities. Stead’s expressive paintings, which sometimes seem to radiate heat, interpret the words in a series of lively, colorful pictures. In addition to creating the visual tone of the book, the illustrations clarify phrases that might baffle young listeners who have never drawn on a sidewalk or skipped stones across water. Well suited to reading aloud, this evocative picture book celebrates the joys of summer. Preschool. --Carolyn Phelan