Once Around the Sun, by Bobbi Katz

Illus. by LeUyen Pham

Poems celebrate each month of the year with childlike observations and enjoyment. "January is/when your sled hurries/to the park after school/and flurries you/down/the/hill." Bright colorful illustrations feature a young African American boy at school and at play. This is a visual delight and the poems could carry a classroom through the year and offer models for similar poems.

Grades 1-4

Winter is the Warmest Season, by Lauren Stringer

A young child shares how winter is the warmest season: hats with earflaps and fuzzy boots, grilled cheese and hot chocolate, and hot baths and pajamas with feet. Ice and snow frame the warm inside scenes of fireplaces, friends, and curled up cats in bright acrylic doublespread illustrations. The rich descriptive language contrasts the warmth of winter with summer cool downs. A delightful seasonal choice for sharing. Classrooms could use the book for a model for another book: "Summer is the coolest season," or other creative fun with opposites.