A final entry in the seasonally themed picture book series that includes the best-selling When Spring Comes combines striking verbal imagery with evocative paintings. By the Caldecott Medal-winning creator of Kitten’s First Full Moon. 125,000 first printing. Illustrations. - (Baker & Taylor)

'A vibrant and sophisticated ode to nature.' 'Kirkus (starred review)

From Caldecott Medalist and Newbery Honor author Kevin Henkes and acclaimed painter Laura Dronzek, the bestselling and award-winning creators of Winter Is Here, When Spring Comes, and In the Middle of Fall, this book about summer celebrates the sights, sounds, and smells of the season.

Bees buzz, birds sing, and children roll in the grass and feel the heat of the summer sun. With striking verbal imagery, repetition, and alliteration, Kevin Henkes introduces basic concepts of language and the summer season. Laura Dronzek's glowing paintings beautifully illustrate the wonders of summer.

In the Middle of Fall, Winter Is Here, When Spring Comes, and Summer Song make for a beautiful quartet of seasonal-theme picture books to share at home or in the classroom. Ideal for introducing the season, for story time, and for bedtime reading.

“A vibrant and sophisticated ode to nature.” —Kirkus (starred review)

From Caldecott Medalist and Newbery Honor author Kevin Henkes and acclaimed painter Laura Dronzek, the bestselling and award-winning creators of Winter Is Here, When Spring Comes, and In the Middle of Fall, this book about summer celebrates the sights, sounds, and smells of the season.

Bees buzz, birds sing, and children roll in the grass and feel the heat of the summer sun. With striking verbal imagery, repetition, and alliteration, Kevin Henkes introduces basic concepts of language and the summer season. Laura Dronzek's glowing paintings beautifully illustrate the wonders of summer.

In the Middle of Fall, Winter Is Here, When Spring Comes, and Summer Song make for a beautiful quartet of seasonal-theme picture books to share at home or in the classroom. Ideal for introducing the season, for story time, and for bedtime reading.

Summer is a song.
A green song.
Green on green on green.
Summer also sings
with growing and glowing,
chirping and buzzing,
whirring and humming,
splashing and sprinkling,
and a breeze blowing
grass, leaves, and trees.

Have you ever noticed that everything in the summer sounds like music?

Listen! Listen!

But mostly, play along.

Booklist Reviews

*Starred Review* This conclusion to the seasonal quartet from the award-winning duo celebrates summer at last, reveling in its endless delights of green songs. It highlights the natural sounds of the season—growing leaves, wind blowing through the tall grass, birds singing—as well as the man-made ones of air conditioners, fans, sprinklers, and lawn mowers. The onomatopoeic whirring, buzzing, and humming of the insects contributes to the daytime atmosphere, while at night the fireflies "sing" to one another without a sound. This engages all senses—the feeling of warm and warmer, the coolness of the shade, the refreshing drops from the hose. Fall's arrival is accompanied by the charming explanation that "summer gets bored and wants to try something new." Brilliant acrylics in luscious greens and blues fill each page. Full-page cameos show diverse children playing, planting, and dreaming, as well as birds, insects, and other animals enjoying their time in the warm season. A splendid fat frog sitting on a lily pad in a pond is a symphony of contrasting greens. Front endpapers in lime green covered with insects contrast with the deep blue endpapers of fall at the back, which are peppered with red leaves, orange pumpkins, and gray squirrels. A luscious finale for a delicious foursome. Preschool-Grade 2. Copyright 2020 Booklist Reviews.

Horn Book Guide Reviews

Henkes and Dronzek complete their seasonal quartet (beginning with When Spring Comes, rev. 3/16) with a joyful ode celebrating summer and its myriad natural wonders and seasonal sights and sounds. The rich shades of green and blue that grace the cover are carried throughout, emphasizing Henkes's observation, If I had to pick one color, / I'd say Summer is green. / Green on green on green. / Summer is a green song. And this summer song is heard everywhere. Most of the time, birds are part of the song--in the air, of the sky, and sometimes rain and thunder are, too. Bugs and bees, air conditioners and sprinklers, fans and lawnmowers--all part of the summer song. And then, when Summer gets bored / and wants to try something new, the song changes, signaling the turning of the season and the arrival of fall. Dronzek's bright acrylic paintings, employing bold black outlines and saturated with luscious greens and blues, reflect both the energy of summer and the gentle rhythm of the text. Small oval-shaped vignettes are interspersed throughout, but it's the glowing full-bleed spreads that--like the fireflies that sing to each other / without a sound--especially shine. Vividly colored animals and flowers feature prominently in the illustrations, adding movement and a rich sense of natural life. Melodic and evocative, this book captures the essence of summer and its unique seasonal song. Copyright 2021 Horn Book Guide Reviews.

Horn Book Magazine Reviews

Henkes and Dronzek complete their seasonal quartet (beginning with When Spring Comes, rev. 3/16) with a joyful ode celebrating summer and its myriad natural wonders and seasonal sights and sounds. The rich shades of green and blue that grace the cover are carried throughout, emphasizing Henkes's -observation, "If I had to pick one color, / I'd say Summer is green. / Green on green on green. / Summer is a green song." And this summer song is heard everywhere. "Most of the time, birds are part of the song—in the air, of the sky, and sometimes rain and thunder are, too." Bugs and bees, air conditioners and sprinklers, fans and lawnmowers—all part of the summer song. And then, when "Summer gets bored / and wants to try something new," the song changes, signaling the turning of the season and the arrival of fall. Dronzek's bright acrylic paintings, employing bold black outlines and saturated with luscious greens and blues, reflect both the energy of summer and the gentle rhythm of the text. Small oval-shaped vignettes are interspersed throughout, but it's the glowing full-bleed spreads that—like the fireflies that sing "to each other / without a sound"—especially shine. Vividly colored animals and flowers feature prominently in the illustrations, adding movement and a rich sense of natural life. Melodic and evocative, this book captures the essence of summer and its unique seasonal song. Cynthia K. Ritter March/April 2020 p.59 Copyright 2020 Horn Book Magazine Reviews.

Kirkus Reviews

Henkes and Dronzek evoke the sights, sounds, and joys of summer, completing their celebratory seasonal quartet. Captivating poetic text begins like a stream of consciousness: "The Summer sun is a giant flower, / and the flowers are like little suns. / Little suns of all different colors." Brilliantly woven together, these accessible and seemingly simple similes and metaphors form a vibrant and sophisticated ode to nature. Readers will drink in the delicious cool shade, feel the sweltering sun, and revel in the lush green garden. Henkes hears summer's song everywhere—in the wind through the grass, the birds in the sky, and the oceans and lakes. Onomatopoeia fills the air with the sounds of bees and dragonflies, juxtaposed with the silence of the glowing firefly. Uncomplicated acrylic paintings done in a primary palette will appeal to young animal lovers. Deeply saturated blues and greens capture the essence of the season, Dronzek's characteristically firm black outlines helping animals, flowers, birds, insects, and humans pop. A multiracial cast of kids tend pets, cool off in the sprinkler, play in the sand, and watch clouds. As the season wanes, there's delicious anticipation for autumn's change. This lovely read-aloud will be savored, just like a summer's day. Captures the magic of childhood summers, when colors are a song and a backyard can sing the wonders of the world. (Picture book. 3-8) Copyright Kirkus 2020 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.

Publishers Weekly Reviews

Married team Henkes and Dronzek (When Spring Comes) complete their seasonal quartet with an homage to summer. Henkes explores the pleasures of the senses with dreamy, childlike lines: "In the shade it can be cool, or when you play with the hose." The season is rich in sounds: singing birds and electric fans, blowing grasses and clamoring insects. Overall, Henkes muses, "Summer is a green song"; his thought is accompanied by a painting of a frog whose lily pad resting place, the blossoms nearby, the pond water beneath them, and the willow above are all shades of jewel-like green. "If you slow down and think about it," song and feeling can blend together: "It's warm/ And then hot/ and then hotter." And sometimes the boundaries between sound and sight blur, as when an inclusive child group finds fireflies at night: "They're singing to each other without a sound." Dronzek's bold black outlines and simple features give her figures a cozy, toylike look, while Henkes's simple, evocative words encourage readers to look and listen for layered wonder in summer's freedom. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)

School Library Journal Reviews

PreS-Gr 2—Have you ever noticed that everything in the summer sounds like music? Have you ever noticed that everything in the summer seems more green? Summer songs are wind in the grass, sprinklers on the lawn, birds in the sky, and thunder during a late afternoon storm. The bees, dragonflies, crickets, and butterflies also play their notes. The creators of Winter Is Here, When Spring Comes, and In The Middle of Fall, are back with the final installment of the seasons series. A lyrical text pairs perfectly with bright illustrations in this wonderful read-aloud. VERDICT A must purchase to round out the seasonal quartet, for storytime or sharing one on one.—Elizabeth Blake, Fields Corner Library, Dorchester, MA