Bella, a little girl who has outgrown but does not want to give up her favorite coat made by her grandmother, learns how to deal with the inevitable change to something new. - (Baker & Taylor)

"A picture book about the fall season, centering on Bella, a little girl who has outgrown but does not want to give up her favorite coat made by her grandmother, and how she deals with the inevitable change to something new"-- - (Baker & Taylor)

This whimsical picture book captures the wonders of fall and the love between a grandma and granddaughter. A perfect read aloud to celebrate fall and winter!

Bella loves the sights and sounds of fall—the crinkle-crackle of fallen leaves, the crunch of crisp, red apples, the honking and flapping of migrating geese. She wants the season to last forever. She also wants her fall coat—the one her Grams made especially for her—to last forever. But the coat is worn-out and too small.... With a snip and a whir, Grams makes sure Bella will be warm when the first snowflakes fall. And Bella finds a perfect use for her old favorite coat—on the first snowman of the season. Adorned with beautiful fall oranges, reds, and yellows, and sprinkled with fun sound words, this read aloud is the perfect book to celebrate the season! - (Grand Central Pub)

Lynn Plourde is the author of more than thirty children's books and has done hundreds of visits to schools where she shares her books interactively and teaches writing lessons. Lynn is a native Mainer who frequently uses her home state for inspiration. Find her at lynnplourde.com.

- (Grand Central Pub)

Booklist Reviews

Bella's favorite coat, the one Grams made for her, is getting too tight, but that doesn't stop this lively girl from enjoying fall outdoors. Every time her grandmother mentions the coat, Bella zooms outside, where she dives into piles of leaves, climbs trees to pick apples, and flaps her arms like the nearby geese. Meanwhile, Grams smiles, presses leaves, makes apple tarts, and, late that night, stitches up a new coat. Putting it on immediately, Bella loves it and runs outdoors, where she puts her old coat on a new snowgirl, saying, "It's her favorite!" Plourde's text reads aloud well with nicely balanced segments of the story and a telling that uses both realistic dialogue and narrative sections with paired words such as "She sneaked and snooped. She honked and whistled. She flapped and flew." As vibrant and energetic as Bella herself, the dynamic digital illustrations make good use of patterns, textures, and deep, rich colors. A fine picture book for autumn story hours. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

Kirkus Reviews

An exuberant girl leaps into the joys of seasonal change with her loving grandmother. Bella is growing, but she wants things to last forever, such as the crunchy autumn leaves, the geese that fill the sky, and especially her beloved old coat. Whenever Grams kindly mentions the need for a new coat, there's a "WHOOSH," "WHIZZ," or "ZOOM" as the ruddy-complexioned child sprints out the door to play in the natural world. Each trip outside brings delight; each return, the opportunity to bond with Grams. Plourde's lovely text about the ephemeral nature of objects and seasons—and the lasting love of family—is beautifully realized by Gal's expressive, digital collage illustrations. Vibrant and spontaneous, they recall Keats and Isadora. Cleverly, she contrasts the cool blue tones of the girl's outfit against the autumn-colored orange of fall, then flops the contrast as the seasons change. Bella's joie de vivre emanates from the page, her wavy, often wild, blue-black hair a perfect extension of its vivacious owner. But Gal also captures the tender, quiet moments: Grams asleep under the warm glow of a lamp, the new coat she's made in her lap, and the loving twosome walking hand in hand under a pink, purple dusky sky. Adults may feel nostalgia over seasons past—and young readers will be introduced to the enticing lure of autumn and the joys of sharing it with someone they love. (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright Kirkus 2016 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.

Publishers Weekly Reviews

A girl named Bella, "not as little as she used to be," revels in an autumn day—and in the patchwork coat her grandmother made for her, a coat that's on its last legs. Grams repeatedly suggests that the coat is ready for retirement, but Bella isn't having it, repeatedly dashing outdoors to romp through the leaves, pick apples from trees, and dash alongside migrating geese ("She sneaked and snooped. She honked and whistled. She flapped and flew"). The mutual adoration between Bella and Grams is abundantly evident in the tender exchanges Plourde (Merry Moosey Christmas) puts together, as well as in Gal's (Here Is the World) gauzy, multilayered images, which capture both Bella's near-inexhaustible energy and that of a woodland landscape in flux. Ages 3–5. Illustrator's agency: Morgan Gaynin. (Sept.)

School Library Journal Reviews

PreS-Gr 1—Bella, who wants to keep her too small coat, learns that "nothing lasts forever." Grams wants to discuss replacing her granddaughter's outerwear, but instead, Bella, wearing the coat she loves, "woosh[es]" outdoors to enjoy her favorite season—fall. She romps in the crackling leaves and even brings some indoors when she returns for lunch. That afternoon Bella plucks ripe apples and after supper zooms outside again to flap her arms in imitation of migrating geese. But her too tight coat begins to unravel, and she can no longer avoid talk of replacing it. While the child sleeps, Grams makes her a new one, which Bella happily dons next morning to experience the first day of winter. She even finds a surprise use for her old coat. The mixed-media illustrations feature double-page outdoor scenes drenched in autumn colors of orange, red, and gold. As day fades to night, swaths of purple sweep across the landscape, and, finally, Bella is tucked into bed with remnants of her autumn adventures reflected against blue-black walls and across her pillow. Alert readers will notice Gram's autumn-colored attire and dishes and furniture that match Bella's vibrant outfit. Plourde manages, quite brilliantly, to convey the characteristics of the autumn season simply through the protagonist's enthusiastic exploits. Metaphors for change abound: apples become tarts, geese leave, autumn becomes winter, and a little girl grows bigger. VERDICT Delicious verb pairs such as "twirled and whirled," "crinkled and crackled," and "picked and plucked" and outstanding illustrations make this offering a treat for eye and ear. A first choice for fall units.—Marianne Saccardi, Children's Literature Consultant, Greenwich, CT. Copyright 2016 School Library Journal.