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Seasonal poems, dominated by summer
themes, paint pictures of exploring nature and enjoying kid-friendly activities
in this picture book from the team of Howell and Povarchik (Shimmer, Songs
of Night, 2017).
Beginning with leaves frozen beneath
the surface of a pond and the sorceress of spring taking over from winter’s
snow fairy, these poems of sunlight and balmy days mix the magical and the
ordinary—and sometimes make the ordinary seem magical. Howell’s linguistic
twists and turns are a delight for the tongue, especially in poems that praise
the “slosh,” “muck,” and “murk” of mud, or a “twirling, rolling, cartwheeling”
journey to find polliwogs. The poetry form sometimes changes; though most of
the pieces rhyme, haiku and free verse are also featured. The vivid imagery in
Howell’s verse is echoed in Povarchik’s watercolor-and-ink images, which
feature cartoonish children, animals, and fairies in brightly colored moments
of whimsy. Although a variety of settings, including beach, city, and woods,
are included, all the human characters have pale skin. To accommodate the
illustrations, some poems are presented in smaller fonts, giving them a
squished look on the page. That is unlikely to stop poetry lovers in the 6 to
12 age group, who will find plenty of tongue-tangling rhymes and rhythms to relish.
A charming celebration of the sun’s
warmth and glow, perfect for sharing and reading aloud.
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