Awesome Autumn

July 9, 2012
Goldstone (100 Ways to Celebrate 100 Days) delivers a thorough overview of the season of autumn and what it entails in terms of the environment and weather, plants and animals, and human traditions and experiences. A chunky, informal font announces what each page is about (“Leaves change color. Why do leaves change?”), with detailed information unspooling in a smaller typeface (“As days get shorter, leaves stop producing chlorophyll. The trees don’t need it anymore”). Photographs of fall trees, animals, clothing, and activities appear throughout, often appearing within leaf-shaped silhouettes. Several spreads dedicated to hearing, taste, and touch encourage kids to actively embrace the season with all their senses, and a list of fall activities carries that idea through to the end. Ages 4–8.

Starred review from July 15, 2012
Goldstone departs from his usual math picture books to deliver one of the most comprehensive books about autumn available for kids. Revolving around the idea that "Autumn is a season of awesome changes," the text takes readers through some of them: Days get colder and shorter; frost forms; farmers harvest their crops; some animals migrate, hibernate, change color or get ready for the cold in other ways; people play soccer and football, rake leaves and celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving. Sometimes-lengthy paragraphs with vocabulary defined in the text inform readers; the best ones introduce the process of leaves changing color and separating from the tree. Goldstone seamlessly intersperses pages into this discussion that talk about the tastes, sounds, sights, textures and shapes of fall, making this a solid choice for audiences of mixed ages. One- and two-page spreads, as well as collages and vignettes of beautiful photos, evoke fall. Many of the photos are cropped in the shape of leaves or words, as on the sound-sense page--"Hooray" is cut from a photo of fans in a stadium. The final few spreads give photographs of and directions for some fall crafts, including gourd geese, leaf rubbings, roasted pumpkin seeds and a fall mobile. Wonderfully apropos pictures, solid information and sheer breadth are sure to make this an elementary-classroom staple. The cover blurb says it all: "All kinds of fall facts and fun." (Nonfiction. 5-10)

COPYRIGHT(2012) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 1, 2012

PreS-Gr 3-This book holds all kinds of information, from what to wear in the fall, what grows at that time of year, and even migration. Beautiful photos are balanced with relatively short bursts of text that young children will find manageable. The discussion of days getting shorter and nights getting longer is followed by how this change affects the production of chlorophyll and how it ultimately results in leaves falling from trees. There is a strong logic in the presentation of the facts that aids in the understanding of the concepts presented. When the migration of birds is discussed, the author brings in the migration of whales and dolphins, insects, and even elk, as they travel from higher elevations to lower ones. What about the ones who stay behind? They hibernate or grow long coats to keep warm as winter approaches. The format is somewhat busy but the book will do well in the laps of or on the desks of the children who are reading it. Both Halloween and Thanksgiving are covered, which then leads into winter. Consider pairing this title with Lois Ehlert's Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf (1991) and Leaf Man (2004, both Harcourt), and Julia Rawlinson's Fletcher and the Falling Leaves (HarperCollins, 2006), all of which explore aspects of fall but in fictional narratives. Awesome Autumn could easily answer any questions that come up when reading them. This is a good reference book for young scholars who will love both the photos and the fun facts.-Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2012
Grades 1-3 This large-format book introduces autumn through paragraphs of text and many colorful photos, some featured as individual illustrations and others within photo collages. Topics include the fall equinox, winter solstice, changing leaves, frost, harvest, animal migration, holidays, and how autumn feels, tastes, and sounds. The sensory pages are particularly well done. The choice and clarity of photos is quite good, but the collages vary in effectiveness. While the clearly distinct images on the How Does Autumn Feel? spread are well chosen for children, the photo-collage illustration showing six different species of migratory birds flying together across a fall landscape is misleading. Still, Goldstone offers a richly varied view of autumn that shows an understanding of his audience. The book doesn't just point out that the days get colder, the accompanying illustrations contrast examples of early fall clothing (shorts, baseball cap, T-shirt) versus late fall gear (jeans, knit cap, jacket). Illustrated activities and crafts round out this attractive guide to fall, which is sure to be popular with classroom teachers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2013
Many questions and curiosities about the season are answered in this lively, informative volume, from why days get shorter and leaves change color to less-common facts about migrating dolphins and how frost forms; the book occasionally strays from science to present more superficial information on fall cultural traditions. Photographs are nondescript but myriad, and a grouping of crafty activities is appended.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)