Firsts and Lasts: The Changing Seasons

What a charming way to look at the seasons — through reminders of what one does last as a season ends, and the firsts one does as a new season begins. As spring begins, it is the last time the plow truck clears the road, and the first time kids go out to play catch. Summer means the last time one wears flannel pajamas and the first time one hears June bugs hitting the screens. Fall is the last time Mom mows the lawn and the first time there are woolly bear caterpillars crawling around. Winter is the last time to visit the playground and the first time to drink hot chocolate. But there are several fists and lasts for each season, and all are great seasonal signals. The writing by Leda Schubert is lyrical and has a wonderful cadence to it. Young listeners will be lulled to quiet by this charming book. The mixed-media illustrations (collage and paint) by Clover Robin are absolutely enchanting and filled with wonderful details that will remind youngsters of all the delights of the changing seasons. This will be captivating for both the adults who read it aloud and the little ones who listen.