(4) K-3 Illustrated by Nicola Anderson. Tate, found in a pumpkin patch, grows up misunderstood; he has difficulty in school but shows an affinity for numbers. His mom begins to understand Tate's special talents when his counting and math prowess helps sell their produce at the market. With slick cartoonlike illustrations that include diverse characters (and many counting opportunities), this is a well-intentioned but heavy-handed plea to understand children of different abilities.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Julia Patton. At an apple orchard, a red-haired girl and mom pick apples and help turn them into cider. The bouncy rhyming text celebrates the process and all things fall: scarecrows, mums, and the festival of pies and apple cider donuts at book's end. Cartoonish illustrations bursting with greens, oranges, and russets are a touch askew, with popped perspectives and mysterious hands operating the cider press.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) PS Illustrated by Susan Swan. Spring has sprung, so Miss Ava brings her class to explore a farm, where the kids take note of opposites, which are bolded in the text. The fourth of the author-illustrator team's season-themed picture books offers more festive rhymes (some can be a mouthful) and engaging multi-patterned illustrations in a sunshiny palette.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) PS Illustrated by Susan Swan. In another seasonal concept celebration by this team (Cheers for a Dozen Ears) a family visits the local maple sugar farm to watch Mr. Sweet boil sap before they all eat pancakes at his farmhouse. Each spread features one or two colors (e.g., "pink cheeks," "silver pail," "amber syrup") that are highlighted in the festive but lumbering rhymes and pleasing collage-like illustrations.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(4) PS Illustrated by Susan Swan. This concept book from the author-illustrator team of Pick a Circle, Gather Squares is a cheerful introduction to numbers and counting. Two siblings and their mother visit a local farm stand, where their shopping starts with one watermelon and ends with twelve ears of corn. The rhymes can be a mouthful, but the colorful digital illustrations successfully convey a summertime mood.

Reviewer: Chelsey Philpot

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Susan Swan. A trip to the pumpkin patch turns into a harvesting of another sort as a father and his children invite readers to look for shapes along the way. The rhyming text, though sometimes forced, is celebratory, and the (busy-looking) digitally enhanced collages burst with autumn colors and rich texture. A festive addition to a seasonal collection.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale