3 out of 4 stars
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Changing Seasons by Laurie Read is a fun storybook which was specially written for children. The story is written in the first person perspective, and it describes one little boy’s experiences throughout each of the four seasons. The boy narrates what the weather is like, which activities he has fun participating in, as well as other distinct characteristics of winter, spring, summer, and autumn. The entire story is written in a series of delightful rhymes.
I really like that this story contains so many teachable concepts. As young readers begin to explore the natural environment around them, this book can help them to learn about the weather as well as the activities which distinguish each season from one another. For example, during the wintertime, the boy plays outside in the snow, and celebrates Christmas. Furthermore, the story can inspire youngsters to develop an appreciation for nature. For instance, when the boy is describing spring, he speaks about the growth of new flowers, the nesting of birds, and the birth of baby animals like puppies. The boy in the story also sets a good example for children. He describes helping his dad with a chore, and he is mindful of completing his homework before he goes out to play.
I like the illustrations in this book. The illustrator, Danko Herrera, uses a simple animated style for the pictures which are infused with vivid colors. The characters are depicted with smiles, frowns, surprised expressions, and laughing faces. These make the characters fun to look at. The illustrations may also teach kids about the different kinds of clothing which are worn for each season. In the book, the boy is depicted wearing a scarf, coat, hat, and boots in the wintertime. In a warmer season like summer, he is drawn with shorts.
Despite the positive aspects of the book, the layout needs to be revised. Although the size and style of the font are suitable for the genre, I noticed that on some pages, the font is typed in italics. This is not consistent throughout the book. Moreover, some of the text is printed on top of the illustrations. An example of this can be found where the word ‘Santa’ is obscured on page 9. Page 23 also has an example of this where the text runs onto the illustrations. It is difficult to discern some of the words when they seemed to merge with the pictures. There are also two random pages which do not feature any illustrations. This breaks the consistency of the layout.
I am pleased to report that there are no grammatical errors in this book. However, I have to deduct a star for the issues with the book’s layout. Therefore, I am rating it 3 out of 4 stars. Apart from the main character’s mom, there are hardly any girls featured in the story, so I think it will appeal mostly to boys aged 4 and over.
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Changing Seasons
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