Year Round

K-Gr 3–This thought-provoking picture book provides readers the opportunity to think about the seasons in a unique and attention-grabbing way. The book is divided into sections: Winter Questions, Spring Feelings, Summer Wishes, and Fall Thoughts. Each section contains questions and illustrations that provoke thinking and responding. This is clearly a book to return to again and again to find new ideas. To get the most out of each section requires taking time to carefully examine the words and the illustrations. What do readers see? What parts of the illustrations are surprising? What is unusual and unexpected? In the first section on Winter Questions, readers encounter the question, “Can you hear the hushushush of falling snow?” The illustration on the page shows a smiling girl whose eyes are closed. On first glance, she seems to be covered with snow. A closer look suggests that she is in bed dreaming. Or is she? Another question, “Does the snowdog need a hug?” substitutes both the word and illustration of a “snowdog” for the more expected “snowman.” The illustration shows several children throwing snowballs, but readers only see one child’s legs and feet dangling in the air. What’s happening here?