A Chill in the Air

Publishers Weekly

Frank's (The Tomb of the Boy King) brief rhymed poems in this two-season celebration mine the timeless and often ask readers to reexamine the familiar. "Thief," for instance, begins with an oft-used phrase, then refreshes it with a twist: "The winter wind's a clever thief:/ He'll join with you in play,/ Then slip his hand inside your coat/ And steal the warmth away." Reed (Halloween Bones) emphasizes the lightness by picturing a child bundled up from head to foot with outstretched hands that welcome the blustery weather, flanked by his faithful dachshund, clad in a red sweater. The artist uses the boy and dog to unite the collection, as well as subtle horizontal lines that undulate across the spreads, creating an understated pattern. Reed also takes some beguiling liberties with the occasional still life. "Mushrooms," for instance ("Along the shady forest floor/ As summer's long days wane, / The mushrooms pop up, wearing hats/ To shed the autumn rain"), occasions an almost Cubist depiction of leaves, from which mushrooms of violet, burgundy and melon-green hues spring up; Reed somehow makes them look perfectly natural, despite their fantastic colors. A few playful poems round out the more reflective nature pieces (a witch out on "A Cold October Night" should remember to wear thermal underwear; polar bears sunbathe in the snow during their "Polar Vacation"). A frolicsome introduction to the seasons. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature

Here is a nice collection of short poems. The poetry begins with the first sign of fall and continues with the arrival of fall, early winter, late winter, and on through the first signs of spring's arrival. The cover sets the mood, showing colored leaves flying by over the wind-blown hair of a young boy. The varied types of poems are sometimes amusing (witches should make sure "beneath their gown they're wearing thermal underwear") and sometimes serious ("Sometimes winter roars with storms of terrifying might"). The colored illustrations accentuate the text well to enrich the message and show movement. The print is large enough for the intended age level. Although the book is recommended for ages four through eight, this would be effective with older children for the study of the language that creates the mental images of the season. The book is recommended for libraries, classrooms, and home collections. 2003, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Ages 4 to 8.
— Pat Williams

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3-From the first leaves falling to the early signs of spring, these 21 easy-to-read poems celebrate 2 enjoyably brisk and chilly seasons. Double-page acrylic illustrations reflect a change in the weather as colors flow from vibrant yellows and reds to frosty blues and whites. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

In simply phrased verses, nearly all previously unpublished, Frank notes in sequence autumn's changing leaves and dropping temperatures, the appearance of snow, ice, and bitter winds, and then early signs of spring at last. Though the language sometimes turns clunky-"I ran to catch it in my hands / Before it touched the ground, / And brought it home to keep among / The treasures I have found"-there are occasional flights of imaginative imagery, plus redeeming flashes of humor, such as the suggestion that Halloween witches had better wear thermal underwear. Not so in the illustrations, though, as Reed's leaden, sharp-looking, identically shaped leaves and stiffly posed human figures give many scenes a monotonous look, compounded on one spread by a child's puff of breath that expands to a page-filling cloud, thus contradicting the accompanying "I see each word I speak / take flight / a whiff of fog, / then disappear." Though there's never enough poetry, particularly for younger audiences, this collaboration is too uneven to consider as more than a secondary choice. (Poetry. 5-7)