Hello Summer!

Hello Seasons!

by Shelley Rotner

Celebrate the quintessential moments of summer with gorgeous photographs taken by a National Geographic photographer.

From the last day of school to catching waves at the beach, young readers will love poring over images of kids just like them enjoying warm-weather activities. The changes that plants, animals, and the environment undergo during this beloved season are also masterfully documented for readers in need of an engaging introduction to STEM topics.

This fourth and final book in the award-winning author's well-reviewed Hello Seasons series is the bridge children need to take them from the last blush of spring to the beginning of autumn. A glossary explaining terms such as summer solstice, nectar, and pollen is included.

Genres: Summer, Picture Books, Nonfiction, Storytime, Nature, Childrens, Animals

32 pages, Paperback

First published April 9, 2019

About the author

When I was five, I refused to go to kindergarten. I declared it was for babies. I already knew how to read, but what really bothered me the most was that the kids mixed up the paintbrushes and colors at the easel so there was never true blue, red, yellow or green. Every time my teacher turned her back, I left the room and headed to the first grade class diagonally across the hall. Luckily, I had a friend there who happily shared her desk with me until the teacher noticed and sent me back to kindergarten. After many successful escapes, a trip to the principal and some testing, I was officially moved to that first grade class with beautiful autumn leaves painted on the door.

Reviews

[Teresa Bateman · Rating 5 out of 5]

YAY! Shelley Rotner has completed her lovely four seasons series, ending with the warmth and fun of summer. Crisp photographs are the highlights of her books, showing children from many ethnicities enjoying the food, activities, and weather of summer. Readers learn about summer flora and fauna, and the book eases nicely from Spring to Winter. Get the whole series. The books are delightful and very handy for sharing with children.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shelley Rotner's text and full-color photographs highlight animals, humans and nature in visually-appealing ways. This final book in her collection devoted to the four seasons will surely please fans of summer and its more leisurely pace. I liked how the book begins with the hints of summer on its way before describing the season's heat and the various ways humans manage to cool off. The conclusion hints of the next season waiting around the corner as the sunlight hours aren't as plentiful as they have been and the trees' leaves begin to turn color. Of course, what season would be complete without an acknowledge of the yummy things there are to eat? Rotner unveils the pastimes of many youngsters during the summer, including trips to the beach and plenty of swimming. As her photos and text show, animals are also more active during the summer time. There's a glossary of terms in the back matter. This book and the other three in the collection are perfect for introducing y0unsters to the seasons. Even older readers will find something appealing in them, if only memories of how they spent last summer or in anticipation of this particular season. As a fan of fall, I never really enjoy summer's heat, but I know I'm in the minority here. Still, this book made me eagerly anticipate this season.

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about all the fun things we do in the summer. Nonfiction, great pictures (photography rather than illustrations). Used it for my first storytime of SRP 2019 and the kids really seemed to enjoy it. Everyone wanted to talk about their favorite summer activities, summer fruits, popsicles, etc. A good book for the theme. Would use again.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the idea of this book; however, I feel as if it could have been implemented better and there are some changes I would make. The book looked like the author pasted stock photos on every page and wrote a short, poorly-written description of each one. It did have the summer feel to it, though, which I really liked.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diverse; beautiful photographs; good read-aloud for preschool or early elementary

[Karla · Rating 3 out of 5]

not great

great photos

too long

not as engaging as could be

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

4 stars for the photos
2 stars for the text being SO JUMPY
3 stars total

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous photo-essay picture book welcoming summer in all its splendor! The fourth in the series.

[Lisa D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great summer book for kids!

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book about summer and all the things you can do during the summer! Perfect for a preschool aged child!

[A Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that this book includes things like wearing sunscreen, the summer solstice, and fireflies. The gorgeous photographs make this book a true winner! Some of the activities listed aren't things that our family does so I replace "we" with "some families" and "we might" periodically. For example, the book says "We fish and camp, boat and hike" and I just adjust a bit since fishing isn't something our particular family does. I don't necessarily like that I have to change the words because Rotner uses absolutes throughout the book, but the photos truly make this book worth it.

[Set · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun summer appreciation book with lovely pictures to get you into that summer mood. This is also a great summer bucket list. Garden, see fireworks, have picnics and barbecues; play in parks and playgrounds; go to county fairs; go to the beach; play in the sprinklers and water parks; swim in the pool; swim in a pond, and go fishing, camping, boating or biking.

[Aarvik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice read!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rotner does such a great job with these simple, nonfiction titles, illustrated by photos of diverse kids doing all kinds of summery things.

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Storytime Themes: Summer

[Kayli · Rating 3 out of 5]

This picture book is all about observing summer using the five senses. It's short, sweet and to the point, which is great for one-on-one reading. It looks like it is a part of a seasonal series so I could see using this in a teaching unit or as a fun read aloud. I gave this book three out of five stars.

[Miss Janis the Storytime Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

good. lots to talk about

[Kelly]

I love how there is a picture for almost every example of text. Great for preschool.