Goodbye Spring, Hello Summer

Changing Seasons #4

by Kenard Pak

As the sun shines bright, rainy days disappear, and new flowers begin to bloom, everyone knows—summer is on its way!

Join a young girl as she roams grassy plains and shady forests, greeting all the signs of the coming season. In a series of conversations with everything from the rolling hills to the chickadees up above, she says goodbye to spring and welcomes the liveliness of summer.

Genres: Picture Books, Summer, Childrens, Nature, Storytime, Juvenile

32 pages, Hardcover

Published May 6, 2025

About the author

Kenard Pak has illustrated several acclaimed picture books, including Have You Heard the Nesting Bird? by Rits Gray and a sequence of seasonal books that began with Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn, which he also wrote. He has worked as an aimator on many films with Dreamworks, Walt Disney Feature Animation, and Laika. Pak lives and works in San Francisco, California.

Reviews

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like books that accompany you through the seasons and Kenard Pak has created one book for every seasonal change throughout the year.
My review for Spring: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My review for Autumn: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My review for Winter: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

As the sun shines bright, rainy days disappear, new flowers begin to bloom, and everyone knows - summer is on its way!
Join a young girl as she roams grassy plains and shady forests, greeting all the signs of the coming season. In a series of conversations with everything from the rolling hills to the chickadees up above, she says goodbye to spring and welcomes the liveliness of summer.



Weirdly, the book was a bit too much like Spring and not enough like Summer (no camp? no beach? no golden fields? we go straight from rain, of which we can still see the puddles, to school being out for summer?).

Equally, while the illustrations were once again cute and the colour palette pretty, the colours didn't suit Summer so much as Spring, too. Fine for the first half but not the second IMO.

Nevertheless, the book did manage to evoke the beginning of summer at least. Once again, a nice book to leaf through and start the new season with.

[Lorellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is gorgeous and it gets it's simple point across okay. I wouldn't have minded a few more words. Tot and I both enjoyed it.

[Shanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt it was appropriate to read this one on the first day of summer! I enjoyed the lyrical nature of this book and the way the watercolors danced across the page. I love all of Kenard Pak’s season books. Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn is probably my favorite. But this one is right up there. It’s an easy read-aloud and has some lovely hints to summer coming along. School is getting out in a few pictures and there are children playing later at night. It is a great way to welcome my favorite season!

Mia’s 2nd Year of Books: Day 103

Edit: I realized I haven’t read Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring. Will need to rectify that. It’s the only one I haven’t read.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over the past nine years Kenark Pak has been doing a series of four books on the four seasons with this one published 2025 is the last in the series. This one focuses on spring and shows many birds and flowers in the illustrations as well as children playing outdoors in the lengthing hours of daylight. Also the endpapers are a bright yellow which screamed summer to me. Illustrations were done with watercolor and gouache with digital enchantment.
With all the positive things I have stated somehow I didn’t enjoy this title as much as the previous two in the series I have read.

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this story, a girl greets the last day of spring and has an imaginary call-and-response conversation with her environment—grass, rolling hills, butterflies, birds, flowers, trees—until she meets other children to enjoy the waning daylight of the vernal equinox until night falls. The next day brings the sequel of this seasonal series. Digitally enhanced illustrations seem a little dark and expressionless.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kenard Pak once again delivers a stunning visual experience in Goodbye Spring, Hello Summer, the latest installment in his evocative seasonal picture book series. With his signature artistry and thoughtful pacing, Pak captures the quiet magic of seasonal change through the eyes of a young girl exploring the world around her. As she wanders through meadows, neighborhoods, and forests, the soft, muted tones of spring gradually give way to the richer, more vibrant hues of summer. Each page offers a subtle, yet powerful transition, mirroring natural rhythms. Pak’s illustrations invite young readers to slow down and observe.

The lyrical text pairs seamlessly with the artwork, providing a narrative that draws readers into each scene. We see birds swoop and dive, flowers bloom, and children play later into the lingering light of longer days. The language is gentle and rhythmic, making it a perfect read-aloud for younger audiences.

[A Allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the fourth book in Pak's "Changing Seasons" series. The first two books I enjoyed so much that I bought my own copies of! The last two were less successful in my opinion. It seems the biggest indicator in this book that the season has changed from spring to summer is that school has let out. I wish the focus had been more on indicators one could look for in nature instead. While I like the butterflies, birds, and flowers being used to show readers that it is summer now, some of the other examples, such as a fallen tree, do not feel very summer specific to me. The air only ever gets to be "warm" in this book too and, when I think of summer where I live, it is hot! I wish that Pak had leaned more into that, like "Hello, sun's bright rays" or "Hello, beating sun"! Perhaps an illustration with people swimming outdoors would have been a good way to embody the feeling of summer, too.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Saying hello to the changes that signify the changing seasons. From birds, flowers and weather.

Why I started this book: I've been eagerly awaiting this book, as I adore the other books and their illustrations.

Why I finished it: Good book, but not my favorite... as I would love to have shorter summers and cooler temperatures.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

The final book in Pak's Changing Seasons series. Readers see the signs of spring give way to summer's highlights. The child talks with various parts of nature and they respond. The format matches the other three books and brings readers full circle to summer from the first one. Love the illustrations and look forward to sharing this with classes to end the school year.

[Morgan the Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do like this series and the illustrations quite a lot, but I think this one didn't have quite as clear of a shift between the seasons. It could certainly be the fault of spring and summer both being warmer and having new things grow, but I also struggled to see clearly where one season began and ended (which is probably accurate, but kids may be a little confused). Still really nice!

[Bethe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Waited a long time for this last book in the series - loved reading this is series to students. 2016, 2017, 2020, 2025 why so long between books? Not quite as charming as I remember the other books to be. Spring things are happening (rain, flowers, school being out, longer hours of daylight) The kids start out with pants on and at the end of the book they have shorts. Lovely warm illustrations.

[Daniel Barrows · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's confusing who is speaking in this back-and-forth dialogue. It's actually the grass and the rain, but that isn't obvious at first, and even once understood, is a stretch for this reader. There is no interesting content.

The art is okay.

Reading time: 2 minutes

[Deb Guerrero · Rating 5 out of 5]

New to me, Kenard Pak was my favorite children's author of 2025! This is Book 4 in his Changing Seasons series. Pak takes readers on a nature walk, pointing out the shifts that signal the changing season. The text is rhythmic and interesting, while the art is captivating!

[Patricia Q · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always love Pak's books and illustrations.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book about the changing seasons.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series highlighting the transitional times between seasons is very fun.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summer isn't my favorite season, but darn if this book didn't get me excited for summer. Lovely and uplifting.

[Gabrielle Stoller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I kind of wish I had gotten this book earlier in the spring. I would have LOVED highlighting in storytime. I enjoy all of these from Kenard Pak so glad to see all the seasons rounded out~!

[Lyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are the best! I always love the pictures. :)

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet, quiet, and thoughtful meditation on the familiar changing of seasons, and the things we can expect to see and do.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
An older sibling crosses a woodland to find a younger sibling

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

So happy to finally have this series completed.

[Earl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate when a picture book series successfully ends. I'm always surprised when a book focusing on each season doesn't manage to have four books. A great collection to have.

[Latifah S Ningrum · Rating 4 out of 5]

FInally had the chance to read the Goobye and Hello weather edition series, especially the Goodbye Spring and Hello Summer titles, this is the last series I read. Many special things are found only in certain seasons. The illustrations and the use of language in this book show a very harmonious blend so that the meaning reaches the reader.