In a frisky, festive celebration of fall, rhyming text and illustrations bring the delights of the season to life, from turning leaves and apple picking to pumpkins and Halloween costumes. - (Baker & Taylor)
Rhyming text and illustrations celebrate the pleasures of fall, from turning leaves and apple picking to pumpkins and Halloween. - (Baker & Taylor)
Booklist Reviews
Ages 3-6. Carr's playful, original way with words is evident from the opening pages of this spirited, staccato tribute to fall: "Flutter, flitter / Gold as glitter / Colors crackle / Round the tree / Rake a heap up. / Run and leap up / Fall is frisky-- / So are we!" Three children and a dog tumble and cavort through an apple orchard and a pumpkin patch, then prepare for Halloween and go trick-or-treating together. Filling the double-page spreads are detailed cut-paper collages, which are brightly colored, interestingly textured, and even crumpled, creating pleasing effects. The outdoor scenes convey a sense of depth in the picture plane that is appealing and somewhat unusual in collage illustrations for picture books. With its nimble text and eye-catching artwork, this will be a good bet for teachers seeking fall-themed books. ((Reviewed October 1, 2001)) Copyright 2001 Booklist Reviews
Horn Book Guide Reviews
""Flutter, flitter / Gold as glitter / Colors crackle / Round the tree."" In the rhyming text and cut-paper collages, children rake and play in leaves, pick apples and pumpkins, carve jack-oÆ-lanterns, dress up for Halloween, and go trick-or-treating. The illustrations are executed with skill but are so busy that they are distracting. The book is intended as a celebration of the season but focuses more on Halloween. Copyright 2002 Horn Book Guide Reviews
Kirkus Reviews
The sweet-sour bite of the first fall apple; the crunching sound of the red and orange leaves; and the spooky ghosts of Halloween all come alive in this frisky celebration of autumn. As the children carve pumpkins: "Teeth are zigzag / Tail goes wigwag / Seeds are slimy / Scoop the goop." These lyrical verses with simple rhymes make this a perfect choice for a quick read-aloud. The cut-paper collage illustrations make the crisp leaves seem like they could be scooped up by the handful. The rope tie on the scarecrow and the fluffy tissue paper clouds seem to pop right off the page. Reading it during the summer might make children yearn for the first signs of falling leaves. (Picture book. 2-5)Copyright Kirkus 2001 Kirkus/BPI Communications.All rights reserved
School Library Journal Reviews
K-Gr 2-An overly sweet celebration of fall, told in rhyme. The book opens with images of leaves ("Flutter, flitter/Gold as glitter/Colors crackle/Round the tree") and takes readers through all of the hallmarks of the season, ending with trick-or-treating: "Evil fairy/Yikes! She's scary!/Patched-up pirate/Who is he?" Donohue's bright collages were created with "handmade cut paper that was layered and crumpled to achieve texture and dimension." This technique results in an almost 3-D effect, with vividly colored pumpkins, scarecrows, and costumed children that seem to step right out of the pages. Unfortunately, the text doesn't say much or offer anything new given the myriad picture books about the season. Librarians and teachers will be better off with the fall poems in John Updike's A Child's Calendar (Holiday, 2001).-Shara Alpern, The Free Library of Philadelphia Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
