From School Library Journal
Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 2–In a book that echoes not only Gertrude Stein's A rose is a rose is a rose (quoted on the dedication page) but also the languorous feeling of summer, four friends spend their time enjoying outdoor activities. From cloud watching and exploring to a carnival and a baseball game to sneezing during a walk through a field, the youngsters engage in a celebration of the season. The rhyming text is bouncy and brief and captures the exhilaration of this time of year with its seemingly endless days and opportunities for fun. (A rose is a rose/And
everything grows–/When summer is summer is summer./A bee is a bee is a bee./A tree is a tree is a tree./Cool in the shade,/Pink lemonade–/Summer is summer is summer). Whimsical watercolor illustrations feature a dreamy world of fantasy and reality, with layered perspectives and strong patterns that undulate across the spreads. The pages are saturated with color, as vivid hues evoke the lush greenery, the dazzling blue skies, and the warm shades of the children's clothing. The youngsters, who are from different ethnic backgrounds, have round, animated faces that shine with contentment. This offering is perfect for one-on-one sharing and for early readers, who will delight in the scenes of summer.
–Marge Loch-Wouters, Menasha's Public Library, WI Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
PreS-K. On the bright cover, a black girl and a white girl, together on a swing, smile at each other while their brothers fly kites in a cloudless blue sky. The lovely image sets the tone for this picture-book celebration of friends having fun in the summer. The watercolor illustrations show the kids playing hide-and-seek, watching baseball (even in the rain), cavorting at the beach, and more. The sophisticated poet Gertrude Stein's famous line, "A rose is a rose is a rose," is quoted on the frontispiece, and her very simple words are echoed in the book's chanting text ("A bee is a bee is a bee. / A tree is a tree is a tree"). The simple, joyful sounds and sunny artwork will appeal to young listeners.
Hazel RochmanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
