  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 08/01/2016 PreS-Gr 2—Hall explores the joys of autumn on a farm from the perspective of an oak tree. Each page features a spread with the aforementioned tree on the right, plus a few ubiquitous squirrels, as the season changes. Each spread includes a short poem on the left page with a title that contains the word fall. The wordplay is clever, and older kids will feel bright when they get it. The youngest might not get the joke, but it isn't necessary to enjoy the book. The tree and squirrels witness many things: apple harvest ("Plentifall"), fall colors of the farmer's market ("Beautifall"), a parade ("Eventfall"), and Halloween ("Frightfall"). Children play in the falling leaves, a wicked wind blows, the family cleans up, geese migrate, and, finally, "Snowfall." Hall's bold digital illustrations have the look and feel of pictures made from construction paper shapes. He uses basic shapes and designs combined with plenty of white space and autumn colors to perfectly encapsulate the theme of the work. VERDICT An excellent seasonal addition, great for storytime and as a catalyst for poetry writing or artwork.—Catherine Callegari, Formerly at Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH - Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 09/15/2016 Poetry, wordplay, and two scurrying gray squirrels present a delightful romp through the autumn season. Using fall (instead of -ful) allows poet Hall to create themes for subjects: “Peacefall,” “Plentifall,” “Helpfall,” and so on. Utilizing a palette of rust, orange, brown, and shades of green, the acrylic paint and soft pastel illustrations use blocky geometrics that pop against the white background. Apples and fall vegetables are harvested for market as the leaves change colors, and a bright “Frightfall” showcases bats, little monsters, and ghosts. Later, “Thankfall” shows geese and birds enjoying a yummy feast in November. While children and parents rake leaves, raccoons, foxes, and deer forage with the approach of cold weather, anticipating the final surprise of “Snowfall!” Children will delight in following the two squirrels, who appear on every double-page spread, as they scamper and play in the trees, sequestering acorns. Two ending pages give factual material about nine of the animals shown, while the following two pages are devoted to squirrel behavior and their predilection for acorns. - Copyright 2016 Booklist. Loading...
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