SUMMER IS HERE, by Renée Watson and Bea Jackson, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, May 7, 2024, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 3-6)
In Summer Is Here, author Renée Watson and illustrator Bea Jackson offer readers an ode to the perfect summer day.
“Summer is here!
No dark clouds in the sky,
it’s a perfect day for play.
What joy will summer bring me today?”
Summer is finally here, and she’s bringing the most perfect day! From sunup to sundown, there’s so much to do on this lovely summer day. With summer comes fresh fruit, sweet and tangy, jump ropes for leaping and dancing, and friends at the pool swimming and floating. Summer brings family cookouts under shady trees, gardens overflowing, and the familiar song of the ice-cream truck. This beautiful ode to all the season’s sensations follows one girl’s perfect day in an exploration of joy, family, friendship, sunshine, and wonder. —Synopsis provided by Bloomsbury Children’s Books
“Her stars shimmer like spilled glitter across the sky.
I whisper a wish and say goodbye to the day.
I wish summer would stay.”
Every kid who has just finished school will immediately relate to Summer Is Here. The season is ripe with possibilities, and author Renée Watson hits on so many of them. With each turn of the page Watson asks readers to savor the moment, savor the little things and the big. Illustrator Bea Jackson captures the joy and wonder with bright and expressive illustrations. Particularly strong are her illustrations of movement — jumping into the pool, jumping/twirling rope, throwing water balloons, etc. These moments capture action mid-step and feel almost like photographs.
Summer Is Here is a joyful picture book that makes you smile.
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