  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 09/01/2017 PreS-Gr 2—Children will learn to cherish the fall season after reading Rotner's latest. Autumn is presented as a time of change and transformation: birds start to journey south, the air cools down, and the sun's time in the sky grows shorter and shorter each day. Rotner manages to keep the text light while also injecting valuable information: "Acorns and pinecones scatter on the forest floor. Maple seeds twirl to the ground"—all of this so that trees and plants can grow in the spring. There are also nice bits of alliteration, "Swallows swoop." Rotner's high quality and vibrant photographs depict children interacting with pumpkins, apples, leaves, and more in a warm palette of yellows, browns, and reds. An ending "Autumn Facts" provides further information about the processes mentioned in the text, notably why leaves turn colors. The bright orange font and playful tone make this ideal for a classroom read-aloud activity. The title is also great for encouraging tactile learning and exploration; kids will be begging to go outside and experience the season for themselves. VERDICT An artful and informative addition to early nonfiction nature collections.—Kathia Ibacache, Simi Valley Public Library, CA - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 09/15/2017 Colorful photographs record the progress of autumn from the first leaves changing color to the shortest day, when even the soil is cold, and bare branches are outlined against the sky. Along the way, late flowers bloom, insects “sing their good-bye song,” squirrels gather nuts, and children play with fallen leaves. Some animals migrate, while others burrow in mud or grow thicker fur. Besides harvesting crops like pumpkins, apples, and cranberries, people celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving. Varied in subject, size, composition, and use of light, Rotner’s photos are excellent. Most focus on seasonal changes in plants and animals, and those featuring children are sensitive to racial diversity. The statements about animals in autumn are occasionally too broad. For instance, on the page about animals going into a “deep sleep until spring,” the sentence “Bats and bears find caves” applies some, but not all, bats and bears. Still, many preschool and primary-grade teachers, particularly those in the Eastern Deciduous Forest biome, will find this a useful, visually inviting addition to classroom units on autumn. - Copyright 2017 Booklist. Loading...
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