“Red Sings from the Treetops: A Year in Colors” explores the seasons through the use of color; visually and verbally. Award-winning author and poet Joyce Sidman expresses the seasons in rhyming verse through the senses; sight, sound and the aura of smell. Suitable for preschoolers, the book’s mixed media illustrations employ collage and painting with hauntingly radiant images and scenery. The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books notes that, “This book has a freshness and visual impact all its own, and it will inspire a rainbow of uses (see Reference 1).”
“A Whiff of Pine, A Hint of Skunk: A Forest of Poems” by Deborah Riddell presents 22 whimsical poems accompanied by detailed watercolor illustrations. Aimed at preschoolers, these poems offer zoological, environmental and seasonal facts mingled with humor. Starting with spring, these poems progress full circle, cleverly connecting the seasons to the forest animals. "The happy result is a lively and inviting collection that invites both examination of poetry and examination of habitat; the vivacious verses are suitable for reading aloud or alone, inside or outside," cites The Bulletin of the Center for the Children’s Arts (see Reference 2).
“Forever Friends” relates the story of a friendship between a blue bird and a brown rabbit through the seasons. Written in short prose, “Forever Friends” author Carin Berger utilizes recycled papers to create captivating illustrations that embody the changing seasons. Suitable for ages two and up, this picture book demonstrates that even though the seasons change, friendship and loyalty can last forever. “Sophisticated, sensitive and accessible, this picture book will offer new insights and pleasures with each season,” affirms Kirkus Reviews (see Reference 3).
“Leaves” by David Ezra Stein brings preschoolers to a baby bear’s island home. As the season changes and it turns to autumn, the young bear attempts to restore the fallen leaves onto the tree branches. As the story unfolds, the baby bear awakens from hibernation to discover springtime with new leaves everywhere. Suitable for ages four and up, the colored pen and ink illustrations subtly present the seasonal cycle in the environs of the bear’s cave. According to Elizabeth Ward of “The Washington Post,” “Stein knows what kids fall for. While the text is solemn—fittingly for such a majestic theme as the seasonal cycle—he keeps the pictures, done with bamboo pen and watercolors, utterly lighthearted and sweet (see Reference 4).”
Veteran author Harriet Ziefert unfolds the magic of autumn on Apple Hill Farm in her book, “By the Light of the Harvest Moon,” as “leaf people” come to light for a harvest celebration. Geared for preschoolers three and up, this story cleverly explores traditions like bobbing for apples and the harvesting of crops with autumn-inspired pastel illustrations. “The illustrations in this attractively done book are imbued with the colors of autumn which provide the perfect backdrop for this story about the leaf people,” states the Children’s Literature Review (see Reference 5).