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In The Middle Of Fall with read along CD

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Explore the sounds, sights, smells, and textures of a new season—fall—in this picture book. In the middle of fall, the sky is nearly gray, the leaves have already turned, and all it takes is one gust of wind to turn the world yellow and red and orange.

Audio CD

First published September 5, 2017

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364 people want to read

About the author

Kevin Henkes

143 books1,199 followers
Kevin Henkes is an American writer and illustrator of children's books. As an illustrator he won the Caldecott Medal for Kitten's First Full Moon (2004). Two of his books were Newbery Medal Honor Books, Olive's Ocean in 2004 and The Year of Billy Miller in 2014. His picture book Waiting was named both a 2016 Caldecott Honor Book and a Geisel Honor Book. It was only the second time any author has won that combination of awards.

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5 stars
386 (27%)
4 stars
649 (46%)
3 stars
326 (23%)
2 stars
38 (2%)
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6 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 238 reviews
Profile Image for Melki.
7,216 reviews2,599 followers
November 8, 2017
Another absolute winner by Henkes!

This tale of the tail end of autumn features stunning artwork by Laura Dronzek.

description

The pages feature punch-you-in-the-face color, just like fall itself. Then, all too soon, the skies fill with white stuff as another season makes its debut. This book truly captures the excitement of autumn.
Profile Image for Julie.
1,511 reviews
August 6, 2018
Fall is my favorite season and I've been exploring the works of Kevin Henkes that he didn't illustrate himself; this one is illustrated by his wife, Laura Dronzek. The colors are gorgeous and the ideas are interesting - I love how the book starts when the leaves have already turned "and the apples are like ornaments." Although the emphasis is on the natural colors of fall - reds, browns, oranges - there is occasionally a splash of another appropriate color, like a purple coat or neon-yellow rain boots as the children are picking apples or pumpkins. This book, part of a series the author/illustrator pair have conceived to illustrate the four seasons, also explores the transition to winter. Very nicely done.
Profile Image for Jessica.
Author 30 books5,907 followers
November 28, 2017
Exquisite look at the turning of the season, fall into winter. I had to read Rylant's In November to the kids immediately after, and they go together perfectly. This is a simpler, brighter book, Rylant has more of a hush to it. But it's just as lovely.
Profile Image for Josiah.
3,467 reviews155 followers
November 14, 2018
In the Middle of Fall is the type of book Kevin Henkes and his wife, the fine artist Laura Dronzek, work together on best: a simple, spare story celebrating nature's glories through understated words and paintings. Autumn is perhaps the most sensuous of the four seasons. Brightly hued leaves clinging to tree branches before letting go to form a blanket on the ground; crisp, cool air carrying the light sting of smoke from burning leaves; big orange pumpkins, fresh red apples, and squirrels playing while they prepare for the long, frigid winter. There are reasons galore to love fall.

Through closeup and distant images the array of autumn experiences is shown. A girl and her dog sit quietly on a swing beneath a tree with colored leaves as dazzling as if they were aflame. Birds and mice nibble at the shriveled remains of the garden, taking extra nourishment before the first frost. Children dressed in sweaters and knitted caps cavort in a pumpkin patch, and for a few days after the leaves fall, the ground is a rich carpet of russet, crimson, and gold. It's a grand show, but cherish it now; soon the leaves will crumble and blow away, and you'll have only memories of fall until next year. Live in the moment and love this colorful season while we have it.

Kevin Henkes is the Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator, but Laura Dronzek is just as good an artist, and she transforms In the Middle of Fall into a gorgeous canvas evoking the best of the season. Every page could be framed and hung as a painting in someone's home or a museum. Kevin Henkes's writing has its moments, such as the comparison of autumn apples to ornaments loosely hung on a tree. I'd rate In the Middle of Fall at least one and a half stars, maybe two, and for an essentially plotless story it's not bad. I recommend this book if you want a read that will get you into the spirit of the season in October or November.
Profile Image for Alyssa.
824 reviews27 followers
June 29, 2017
If I had the ability to begin this review with emoji that has hearts for eyes, I would have done so. "In the Middle of Fall" set my Autumn senses tingling and made waiting for my favorite season just that much harder. If I taught lower elementary, I would be reading this to my students every school year. The colors are vibrant and simplistic, it features adorable woodland creatures, and is everything you could want in a book about the seasons. Note: I read an unbound, unpublished, early copy of this work.
Profile Image for Chance Lee.
1,399 reviews154 followers
September 28, 2017
A sweet and simple book about the changing of seasons and the temporary nature of fall foliage. Urges readers to stop and savor all the colors because soon they will be gone... until next year.
Profile Image for Laura Harrison.
1,167 reviews130 followers
October 29, 2017
An absolutely perfect book for fall. Bold, bright and simple illustrations. Perfect for an Autumn story time.
Profile Image for Abigail.
7,893 reviews250 followers
September 22, 2020
A simple text describing the changes brought by fall is paired with vividly colorful acrylic artwork in this appealing seasonal picture-book for younger children. With no more than a few words per page, author Kevin Henkes highlights how everything from the leaves to the air has changed, while Laura Dronzek's illustrations depict a series of beautiful autumnal scenes...

One of four picture-books created by husband-and-wife team Henkes and Dronzek about the four seasons - other titles include Winter Is Here , When Spring Comes and Summer Song - In the Middle of Fall is a book I appreciated predominately for the visuals. Dronzek's artwork really pops off the page in some scenes - the two-page spread of the squirrels was a favorite - and captures the beauty of the season. Although the text wasn't terrible, I think this would have worked just as well, or even better, as a wordless picture-book. Recommended to picture-book readers seeking autumn stories for younger (2-4 perhaps?) audiences.
Profile Image for Baby Bookworm.
1,642 reviews106 followers
November 13, 2017
https://thebabybookwormblog.wordpress.com/2017/11/12/in-the-middle-of-fall-kevin-henkes/

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Hello, friends! Our book today is In The Middle Of Fall, written by Kevin Henkes and illustrated by Laura Dronzek, a lovely meditation on the magical time of year when nature is filled with the color of fall.

There is a time that comes only once a year… a short time between the air growing cooler and the ice coming in, between the chittering of animals and the silence of snowfall, between the bright green of leaves on the tree and the naked branches reaching into a blank white sky. It’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it time, but if you’re paying attention, there’s ripe round pumpkins and apples, busy squirrels, and a cool gray sky. And occasionally, when the wind stirs up just right, the world becomes a riotous flutter of reds and yellows and oranges and browns that leap from the treetops to dance and settle on the ground.

This is a quiet and very mellow book about autumn, and I really liked it. The text is minimal and contemplative, and very soothing to read aloud, considering and celebrating just a handful of fall things and colors in a reverent sort of tone. The art compliments this perfectly, capturing the elements of fall in a soft autumnal palette that rises and falls with the gentle narrative of the words. The length is fine, and JJ and I both enjoyed it. A tranquil exploration of the beauty of autumn, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!
Profile Image for Michael Fitzgerald.
Author 1 book64 followers
December 2, 2017
So very mediocre. Henkes seems to be phoning in his books now. (Doesn't even have to phone, with his wife doing all the illustrating.) This one has two sentences (the second beginning with "But") split over 32 pages. The illustrations are nice but mundane, and there is no surprise or excitement about them.
Profile Image for Jocelin.
2,018 reviews47 followers
September 5, 2017
A great book that shows the changing of the season to autumn. The illustrations really capture the spirit of fall.
Profile Image for Jessica Furtado.
Author 1 book41 followers
October 19, 2017
A sweetly illustrated book that brings autumn to life and teaches children about the brief, beautiful seasons. Storytime kiddos will enjoy making a whooshing wind sound in the middle of the story as the leaves fall and color the world in reds and yellows. A great book for late October or early November when fall is starting to fade.
Profile Image for Mary.
3,494 reviews10 followers
September 8, 2020
Another lovely addition to the Henkes / Dronzek's homage to the seasons. In Summer Song, the endpapers in the back display the beginning of autumn. In this picture book, the front endpapers show autumn leaves and acorns while the endpapers at the back have snowflakes paving the way for the next book. A wonderful addition to any preschool unit on seasons.
Profile Image for Lori.
2,497 reviews53 followers
October 6, 2017
Would be a lovely addition to a preschool or kindergarten room to celebrate seasons.
Author 1 book86 followers
September 14, 2017
This short book is an enjoyable introduction to the changing of seasons from fall to winter for very young children.
Profile Image for Emma.
3,317 reviews459 followers
May 15, 2017
I keep waiting for Henkes and Dronzek to be less charming. Hasn't happened yet.
Profile Image for Brittany.
2,653 reviews4 followers
December 14, 2017
A great story about seasons changing. The story was so easy to read and easy for a child to understand. Illustrations flow with the story SO well and are absolutely beautiful. I only wish I would have found this book during "Fall" for my daughter. When the leaves are mostly on the ground it is just a little too late. Ha! Find this one early!
Profile Image for Margaret.
2,800 reviews
October 16, 2017
After the autumn rains tree leaves shimmer like they've been dusted with glitter, glistening as the gusty winds rustle their branches. High above the treetops ravens glide on the speeding wind currents, clouds scurrying across the sometimes blue, sometimes gray sky. Clinking and clunking sounds are evidence of the oak trees throwing their acorns on the back deck. Squirrels scamper across lawns, pausing to dig feverishly burying food for another day.

As the sun signals the passing of a storm, the afternoon chorus of birdsong is strangely silent. Many have left for their southern journey. In the Middle of Fall (Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, September 5, 2017) written by Kevin Henkes with illustrations by Laura Dronzek, companion title to When Spring Comes (Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, February 9, 2016), these collaborators in children's literature and life address with poetic eloquence the beauty of one season moving into the next season.


My full recommendation: http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/2...
102 reviews
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October 20, 2021
Watch the world transform when fall comes! In the middle of fall, it takes only one gust of wind to turn the whole world yellow and red and orange.

This is an excellent picture book to teach young students not only about the season of fall but also phonics and comprehension strategies. Looking at the teaching of fall component of this book, you can teach students about all five senses and what you would hear, see, feel, smell, and taste during fall. The illustrations vividly show all the wonderful colors you would see and then you can a conversation with the class about the rest of the senses based on either their own experiences or what they saw in the book. Moving into the phonics and comprehension strategies, there are challenging words within the book that you can teach students either how to sounds it out or use context clues to discover the meaning of a word to comprehend the story. While the illustrations are simple, they contain great detail about what fall looks like and extends what the printed text is stating
Displaying 1 - 30 of 238 reviews

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