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32 pp.
| Holiday/Porter |
April, 2024 |
TradeISBN 9780823452057$18.99
(2)
PS
In this companion to Hello, Moon (rev. 7/21), Downing records the activities of a group of woodland animals, including rabbits, bears, butterflies, and a hawk, as they engage in their daytime routines. The book sets a gentle tone: "Hello, sun! / Goodbye, night. / Sunrise chill, pale dawn light." Similar quatrains ("Morning shines, / ferns unfurl. / Acorns crack. / Hungry squirrel") detail the action, which includes frolicking, nest building, and even napping. A hawk flies overhead ("Feathers flash / all around"), interrupting the bucolic scenes, but the rabbits: "Hide away, / safe and sound." Although yellow predominates the palette of the watercolors and liquid acrylics, Downing employs soft blues and greens in the flora and fauna to create a pastoral tableau that beautifully complements the rhythmic text.
Reviewer: Betty Carter
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2024