02/01/2020
PreS-Gr 1—Isadora's latest offering begins by listing all the seasons and then asking; "Do I have to wear a coat?" First up is spring and viewers learn that the weather is delightful, new farm babies are born, and it's a perfect time to play outside and smell the flowers. However, when it rains in the spring, out come the raincoats. Next comes summer, full of ice cream and camping outside and going to the beach; there is no mention of a coat. Fall and winter are covered in the final pages with scenes of all their beauty and multiple activities that they offer; here the text mentions wearing sweaters in the fall and the necessity for a coat in the winter. The book hosts a lovely cast of adorable children interacting in each season. Every other page has the four seasons listed on the top with the "featured" season in a larger font with a distinct color. VERDICT A solid primer to introduce the seasons, but not an essential purchase.—Amy Nolan, St. Joseph Public Library, MI
2019-12-08
Seasonal changes—and outfit changes, too.
As children fling open their doors to run outside, the titular question comes to mind: "Do I have to wear a coat?" Laid out in a similar style to those in Isadora's previous musing on the senses, I Hear a Pickle (and Smell, See, Touch, and Taste It, Too!) (2016), various vignettes of diverse tots explore spring, summer, fall, and winter. Each season is opened with a picture of the same pigtailed white youngster and a dog looking at a tree. As the seasons change, readers see differences to the leaves and changes to the child's clothing. Spring brings flowers, baseball games, sidewalk chalk, and raincoats. Summer brings ice cream, fireflies, sand castles, and no coats at all! In the fall, sweaters are warm and cozy accompaniments for hayrides, jumping into leaf piles, and apple picking. Winter, the coat-iest season, brings snow angels, frosty air, steamy hot chocolate, and of course, bundles and bundles of coats! Isadora explores the seasons not only through outerwear, but also activities that are intimate and familiar to those who experience these seasons. Vignettes include racially diverse children; two kids in sports wheelchairs play tennis, and an amputee on crutches plays soccer. Children will feel each season deeply, with or without their coats!
A fresh perspective on a cyclical topic. (Picture book. 3-6)
