July 24, 2017
In a counting book that doubles as an introduction to the seasons, a boy counts the leaves on the tree outside his home. In the spring, leaves keep appearing (“Five leaves, six leaves/ way up high./ Seven leaves,/ eight leaves/ touch the sky”). By summer, there are too many leaves to count, but as the “air grows chilly,” the leaves change color and fall, bringing the count back down to zero. In addition to highlighting how the tree changes, McFarland’s grainy mixed-media graphics reveal a revolving assortment of animals, including a steadfast squirrel that appears in each scene. Micklos’s punchy rhymes and McFarland’s bold artwork create a breezy counting tale that encourages readers to observe subtle changes in the world around them. Ages 1–3. Author’s agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Anne Moore Armstrong, Bright Group.
July 1, 2017
A young child counts from one to 10 as an oak tree leafs out in the spring and then back down to one again as the leaves fall in autumn. The child, who has light-brown skin and a head of thick, curly black hair, lives in a little purple house next to the tree and is a close observer of all that happens on and around it. Micklos' bouncy rhyming verses keep the pages turning as the seasons change and leaves unfurl or fall, numerals sharing the pages with the text to reinforce the counting. "Nine leaves, / ten leaves, / green and young. / Here come / more leaves. / SPRING HAS SPRUNG!" McFarland's crayon, watercolor, acrylic, and digital illustrations are angular and graphic, blocks of color and simple shapes standing in for flowers, the animals largely abstract, especially the birds. Full- and double-page spreads, vignettes, changes in perspective, and scenes showing the tree as it gains/loses leaves combine with the clues signaling the seasons' changing and the different animal visitors to keep readers' interest despite the book's singular focus. The one quibble is that this is an oak tree. Depending on where readers live, oak leaves may not turn red or orange, and they may not fall in autumn, instead turning brown and hanging on into winter. A solid look at both counting and seasonal changes--albeit within a limited hardiness zone. (Picture book. 3-6)
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September 1, 2017
PreS-Gr 1-This simple counting book presents the four seasons through a rhyming text that describes the changing number of leaves on an oak tree. The story is told primarily from the perspective of a boy observing and interacting with the wildlife around the tree. Young children will enjoy the bouncy rhyming text while learning about counting, numbers, and the seasons. Numbers are included with each illustration, both in the text and with large numerals; and the leaves are counted forward to 10 through summer and then backward as the leaves turn colors and fall from the tree. The images include details that children will enjoy-from butterfly catching and birds building a nest to the joy of jumping in a pile of fallen leaves. The graphic watercolor illustrations use soft colors and simple shapes to depict different elements of nature, such as birds, rabbits, acorns, and flowers. This concept book effectively combines both counting and the seasons, and will be well received by young children. VERDICT A general purchase that will be especially useful for individual sharing.-Theresa Muraski, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Library
Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
January 1, 2018
Jaunty rhymes count as leaves grow, one by one, in the spring until it's summer; then back down in fall as colorful leaves disappear from the tree and "lie crumpled on the ground" come winter. Rendered in crayon, watercolor, acrylic paint, and digital finishing, the illustrations use bold shapes accessible to the youngest learners. A solid multiple-concept picture book.
(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)