Summer Color!

PreS-Gr 1--This fun concept book displays the beauty of colors in all their glory while following the summer adventures of an unnamed family. After enjoying the brilliant sun and sunflowers from the porch, a young girl and boy decide to explore. However, as they head into the forest, the sky starts to turn gray. The rain doesn't deter them at first; in fact, they discover even more wonders to see, but they do eventually have to head home. Thunder and lightning don't dampen their spirits though, and the sun makes a return at the end. The metered text follows an AABB rhyme pattern that usually ends with a color word, which is decked out in its distinctive hue and typed in an extra large font. It also features plenty of onomatopoeia. As for the illustrations, they positively sparkle with all the variety. From the glorious yellows on a bright sunny day to the thunderous grays of a rainstorm, Persico's digital brushwork paints a lush portrait of nature in summer. The flat color designs of the kids stands out against the textured backgrounds. This concept book is for a slightly older-than-average crowd. Its hues are not displayed as distinct entities like many others; rather they are featured among the whole; the same goes for the text. VERDICT A fun and beautifully painted concept book appropriate for slightly older children.--Rachel Forbes, Oakville Public Library, Ont.

Murray offers a gentle tribute to the colors of summer, centering on two siblings who live in a verdant countryside rendered in vivid digital art. Murray writes in descriptive couplets: "The sparrows keep chirping a song, soft and mellow,/ and sunflowers reach up with petals so yellow." As the children run past their yard, storm clouds gather; Persico's sunny spreads are overtaken by moody grays, then "Rain batters down on the blustery scene,/ as cardinals fly into treetops so green." The children pass a pond covered in pink water lilies, a white waterfall, and picnickers dashing for cover with purple blankets. Back at home and cozy, the siblings (with their cousin who, curiously, stayed behind) watch lightning strike before the sun returns. Murray (City Shapes) presents a lively color primer while conveying the building excitement of a summer storm. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Brianne Johnson, Writers House. Illustrator's agent: Anne Moore Armstrong, Bright USA. (May)