Summer Song

by Kevin Henkes, Laura Dronzek (Illustrator)

Overview

“A vibrant and sophisticated ode to nature.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A wonderful read-aloud.”—School Library Journal (starred review)

From Caldecott Medal and Newbery Honor winner Kevin Henkes and acclaimed painter Laura Dronzek, the bestselling and award-winning creators of Winter Is Here, When Spring Comes, and In the Middle of Fall, this book about summer celebrates the sights, sounds, and smells of the season.

Bees buzz, birds sing, and children roll in the grass and feel the heat of the summer sun. With striking verbal imagery, repetition, and alliteration, Kevin Henkes introduces basic concepts of language and the summer season. Laura Dronzek's glowing paintings beautifully illustrate the wonders of summer.

In the Middle of Fall, Winter Is Here, When Spring Comes, and Summer Song make for a beautiful quartet of seasonal-themed picture books to share at home or in the classroom. Ideal for introducing the season, for story time, and for bedtime reading.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062866158
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/24/2022
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	131,526
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Kevin Henkes has been praised both as a writer and as an illustrator and is the recipient of the Children’s Literature Legacy Award for his lasting contribution to literature for children. He received the Caldecott Medal for Kitten’s First Full Moon; Caldecott Honors for Waiting and Owen; two Newbery Honors, one for Olive’s Ocean and one for The Year of Billy Miller; and Geisel Honors for Waiting and Penny and Her Marble. His other books include The World and Everything in It; A House; A Parade of Elephants; Chrysanthemum; and the beloved Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse. Kevin Henkes lives with his family in Madison, Wisconsin.

Laura Dronzek is a painter whose work has been exhibited nationally. Her picture books include Moonlight, by Helen V. Griffith; It Is Night, by Phyllis Rowand; White Is for Blueberry, by George Shannon; Little Houses, by Kevin Henkes; and a quartet of seasonal picture books also by Kevin Henkes. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin.

Hometown:

Madison, Wisconsin

Date of Birth:

November 27, 1960

Place of Birth:

Racine, Wisconsin

Education:

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Website:

http://www.kevinhenkes.com

Editorial Reviews

Henkes celebrates the glories of summer . . . [Summer Song is] a sensory feast.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)

Henkes and Dronzek complete their seasonal quartet with a joyful ode celebrating summer . . . Melodic and evocative, this book captures the essence of summer and its unique seasonal song.

Horn Book Magazine

Henkes and Dronzek make the sounds of summer—the lawn mowers, the sprinklers, the birds and the crickets—so vibrant we almost hear colors. Summer has never hummed so brightly. . . . Follow four diverse friends as they lie in meadows, chase fireflies, walk their dogs and look for frogs.

New York Times Book Review

[A] conclusion to the seasonal quartet from the award-winning duo celebrates summer at last, reveling in its endless delights of green songs. . . . A luscious finale.

Booklist (starred review)

Henkes and Dronzek make the sounds of summer—the lawn mowers, the sprinklers, the birds and the crickets—so vibrant we almost hear colors. Summer has never hummed so brightly.

The New York Times Book Review - Sophie Blackall

02/10/2020

Married team Henkes and Dronzek (When Spring Comes) complete their seasonal quartet with an homage to summer. Henkes explores the pleasures of the senses with dreamy, childlike lines: “In the shade it can be cool, or when you play with the hose.” The season is rich in sounds: singing birds and electric fans, blowing grasses and clamoring insects. Overall, Henkes muses, “Summer is a green song”; his thought is accompanied by a painting of a frog whose lily pad resting place, the blossoms nearby, the pond water beneath them, and the willow above are all shades of jewel-like green. “If you slow down and think about it,” song and feeling can blend together: “It’s warm/ And then hot/ and then hotter.” And sometimes the boundaries between sound and sight blur, as when an inclusive child group finds fireflies at night: “They’re singing to each other without a sound.” Dronzek’s bold black outlines and simple features give her figures a cozy, toylike look, while Henkes’s simple, evocative words encourage readers to look and listen for layered wonder in summer’s freedom. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

Henkes and Dronzek evoke the sights, sounds, and joys of summer, completing their celebratory seasonal quartet . . . [Summer Song] captures the magic of childhood summers, when colors are a song and a backyard can sing the wonders of the world.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“[A] conclusion to the seasonal quartet from the award-winning duo celebrates summer at last, reveling in its endless delights of green songs. . . . A luscious finale.” — Booklist (starred review)

“The creators of Winter Is Here, When Spring Comes, and In The Middle of Fall, are back with the final installment of the seasons series. A lyrical text pairs perfectly with bright illustrations in this wonderful read-aloud. . . . For storytime or sharing one on one.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

“Henkes celebrates the glories of summer . . . [Summer Song is] a sensory feast.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)

“Henkes and Dronzek complete their seasonal quartet with an homage to summer. Henkes explores the pleasures of the senses . . . Encourage[s] readers to look and listen for layered wonder in summer’s freedom.” — Publishers Weekly

“Henkes and Dronzek complete their seasonal quartet with a joyful ode celebrating summer . . . Melodic and evocative, this book captures the essence of summer and its unique seasonal song.” — Horn Book Magazine

“Henkes and Dronzek make the sounds of summer—the lawn mowers, the sprinklers, the birds and the crickets—so vibrant we almost hear colors. Summer has never hummed so brightly. . . . Follow four diverse friends as they lie in meadows, chase fireflies, walk their dogs and look for frogs.” — New York Times Book Review

From the Publisher

★ 05/01/2020

PreS-Gr 2—Have you ever noticed that everything in the summer sounds like music? Have you ever noticed that everything in the summer seems more green? Summer songs are wind in the grass, sprinklers on the lawn, birds in the sky, and thunder during a late afternoon storm. The bees, dragonflies, crickets, and butterflies also play their notes. The creators of Winter Is Here, When Spring Comes, and In The Middle of Fall, are back with the final installment of the seasons series. A lyrical text pairs perfectly with bright illustrations in this wonderful read-aloud. VERDICT A must purchase to round out the seasonal quartet, for storytime or sharing one on one.—Elizabeth Blake, Fields Corner Library, Dorchester, MA

School Library Journal

★ 2019-12-22
Henkes and Dronzek evoke the sights, sounds, and joys of summer, completing their celebratory seasonal quartet.

Captivating poetic text begins like a stream of consciousness: "The Summer sun is a giant flower, / and the flowers are like little suns. / Little suns of all different colors." Brilliantly woven together, these accessible and seemingly simple similes and metaphors form a vibrant and sophisticated ode to nature. Readers will drink in the delicious cool shade, feel the sweltering sun, and revel in the lush green garden. Henkes hears summer's song everywhere—in the wind through the grass, the birds in the sky, and the oceans and lakes. Onomatopoeia fills the air with the sounds of bees and dragonflies, juxtaposed with the silence of the glowing firefly. Uncomplicated acrylic paintings done in a primary palette will appeal to young animal lovers. Deeply saturated blues and greens capture the essence of the season, Dronzek's characteristically firm black outlines helping animals, flowers, birds, insects, and humans pop. A multiracial cast of kids tend pets, cool off in the sprinkler, play in the sand, and watch clouds. As the season wanes, there's delicious anticipation for autumn's change. This lovely read-aloud will be savored, just like a summer's day.

Captures the magic of childhood summers, when colors are a song and a backyard can sing the wonders of the world. (Picture book. 3-8)

Kirkus Reviews