March 1, 2018
An extended family gathers on the porch of a country home to enjoy cool lemonade and time together on a hot summer day. Two kids run off to gleefully explore the colorful countryside. However, when a sudden summer storm pops up, they must race home to avoid being caught in the downpour. While many first concept books that teach colors use a repetitive format (simply introducing objects and their corresponding colors without much emphasis on story), this book weaves color into an already engaging plot. The pace of the rhyming text perfectly matches the action; it meanders a bit as the family members arrive and greet one another in the hot sun and then quickens as the storm approaches. Both text and illustrations are celebratory of rural life in general; the mentions of peaches and egrets call to mind the southeastern United States specifically. The full-bleed illustrations are lively and saturated. They neatly depict the menacing darkness that takes over the sky with the arrival of a summer storm without becoming scary. However, the exact relationships of the characters depicted are unclear at times (there are three children, so why do two leave one behind?), which unfortunately confuses the text rather than enhancing it. Still, the book is well-crafted and appealing, and the conscientious attention to diversity in both race and family structure makes it noteworthy. A chipper frolic through nature's colorful palette. (Picture book. 3-7)
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May 1, 2018
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.
Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
June 11, 2018
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.
January 1, 2019
Told in rhyme, this is a colorful tribute to summer and its many pleasures: red ice pops, yellow sunflowers, and even gray clouds that bring a sudden shower, leaving behind "a refreshing, cool breeze, / and silvery droplets that sparkle on trees." The cartoonlike digital illustrations are fairly slick but nevertheless capture the light and colors of a summer storm in an idyllic country setting.
(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)