July

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

A regular New Yorker cartoonist, Stevenson is as expressive with words as he is with a paintbrush. Here, whimsical watercolors and a text studded with appealing period details recreate a summer of 50 years ago, when the narrator visited his grandparents at the seashore. Traveling back in time, readers meet Grandpa, who dressed in knickers and played croquet; Grandma, who left a door unlocked every night ``in case anybody needs to get in''; and Mrs. Bartlett, who delivered the mail, driving her car ``on both sides of the road and, sometimes, down the middle.'' The boy and his friends participate in the summer pastimes of which memories are made: skipping stones, watching waves during a storm, toasting marshmallows and riding in a speedboat. Stevenson adds the right amounts of nostalgia and humor to his timeless story; readers of all ages will treasure this book--all year round. Ages 5-up. (Apr.)

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2-- This book of gentle reminiscence combines past yet timeless joys into one perfect summer memory. Fifty years ago, July meant visits to Grandma and Grandpa's house near the beach. Grandpa wore knickers, croquet was the game of choice, and at night one door in the house was left unlocked ``in case anybody needs to get in.'' There was plenty to do, and plenty not to do. The ``don'ts'' will be familiar to modern children--don't slouch, don't bolt your food, don't make so much noise! Similar in style to Stevenson's Higher on the Door (1987) and When I Was Nine (1986, both Greenwillow), this lovingly executed book avoids heavy nostalgia by skillfully evoking universal pleasures of the season. Soft, evocative watercolors capture various moods with minimum detail but maximum emotional impact. With a few splashes and lines of color, Stevenson reveals the pure exuberance of racing bicycles along the boardwalk. In the final pages, the narrator at last takes a ride on Mr. Harding's speedboat, which turns out to be ``ten times better than I thought it would be!'' Young readers will feel the same way about this book, especially if they can share it with grandparents ready with memories of their own. --Lori A. Janick, Parkwood Elemen . School, Pasadena, TX bpp, pl. send type, galleys, and one lightly waxed set, thanks.