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Rating: 
Summary: Newly revised poems; all new illustrations!
Review: From the short, frozen days of January, through the long green days of June, to the first light snowflakes of December, here are poems for all twelve months of the year. The poems, which incorporate a number of changes made for this edition, were first published in 1965. John Updike is the author of more than forty books, including collections of short stories, poems, and criticism. His novels have won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and the National Book Critics Circle Award. Trina Schart Hyman has received a Caldecott Medal, Caldecott Honor awards, and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award.
Rating: 
Summary: Terrific Pictures & Poetry
Review: I love the novels of John Updike and was curious to read one of his children's books. As always, Updike has produced a book of high quality. Each month is represented in a four- or five-stanza poem and has two illustrations. What I like about Updike is his obvious love of language, and he doesn't disappoint here. My favorite line is for July, "And Tabby dozes/in a pool/ of fur she sheds/ to keep her cool." What a beautiful summation of July! Originally written in 1965, the book was re-released in 1999 with new illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman. The pictures are stunning and capture the elements of each month. Readers of Updike know that he lives in Massachusetts, and the poems and illustrations have a decidely northeastern feel. Most highly recommended for young readers (ages 4-8 years) as well as their parents who enjoy evocative poetry!
Rating:
Summary: Terrific Pictures & Poetry
Review: I love the novels of John Updike and was curious to read one of his children's books. As always, Updike has produced a book of high quality. Each month is represented in a four- or five-stanza poem and has two illustrations. What I like about Updike is his obvious love of language, and he doesn't disappoint here. My favorite line is for July, "And Tabby dozes/in a pool/ of fur she sheds/ to keep her cool." What a beautiful summation of July! Originally written in 1965, the book was re-released in 1999 with new illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman. The pictures are stunning and capture the elements of each month. Readers of Updike know that he lives in Massachusetts, and the poems and illustrations have a decidely northeastern feel. Most highly recommended for young readers (ages 4-8 years) as well as their parents who enjoy evocative poetry!
Rating: 
Summary: Catchy Poetry
Review: Jan.
Fat snowy footsteps
Track the floor,
And parkas pile up
Near the door. May.
Now children may
Go out of doors,
Without their coats,
To candy stores.
Jun.
There's Little league,
Hopscotch, the creek,
And, after supper,
Hide-and-seek.
Aug.
The sprinkler twirls.
The summer wanes.
The pavement wears
Popsicle stains.
Oct.
At last, small witches,
Goblins, hags,
And pirates armed
With paper bags
Dec.
Old carols peal.
The dusk is dense. There is a mood
Of sweet suspense. These classic poems are newly enriched by the beautiful illustrations by Caldecott Medalist Trina Schart Hyman.
The book has the feel of a Dr. Suess book, without humor.
Rating: 
Summary: A year to remember
Review: The pictures in this book are great fun--Trina Schart Hyman skillfully captures the atmosphere of each season with a complexity of familiar objects, including the small details that always make her work a joy to wander into. The poetry, however, was not as good as I had expected. The poems lacked internal unity, resembling a list of separate events that never transitioned well enough into each other to evoke the desired image (of that particular month). There were occasional gems--phrases that stood out like holidays in an otherwise unspectacular "year." For example, "January" begins with these lines: "The days are short,/ The sun a spark/ Hung thin between/ The dark and dark." And the first two stanzas of "June": "The sun is rich/ And gladly pays/ In golden hours,/ Silver days,/ And long green weeks/ That never end./ School's out. The time/ Is ours to spend." Among several other noteworthy passages, my favorite of all is this one from "March": "The mud smells happy/ On our shoes." Read it for the gems, not for a unified sense of the season, and you'll be rewarded. But then again, the pictures are reward enough!
Rating:
Summary: A Vivid, Visual Introduction to Poetic Imagery
Review: Today, many children only know about poetry from Dr. Seuss. A Child's Calendar is a rich introduction to the imagery of poetry that has entranced all who listen since the days of wandering story tellers and shamen. In this volume, classic New England situations and events are beautifully illustrated in warm, heavily inked water colors showing beautiful brown and pink faces amid nature's wonders. Although no one would buy this volume solely for the poetry, the resulting book of illustrated verses makes for the raw material for a garden of happy memories tended by reading to your child (or grandchild) and listening while she or he learns to read to you. Each month is featured, beginning with January, with a brief poem and two beautiful illustrations spread over two pages. The illustrations are clearly well deserving of the Caldecott Honor. I found some of the imagery particularly meaningful, and these lines are included below: January -- "The sun a spark/Hung thin between/The dark and dark." February -- "And snapping, snipping/Scissors run/To cut out hearts." March -- "The timid earth/Decides to thaw." April -- "All things renew./All things begin." May -- "And Daddy may/Get out his hoe/To plant tomatoes/In a row." June -- "In golden hours,/Silver days." July -- "Bang-bang! Ka-boom!" August -- "The pavement wears/Popsicle stains." September -- "The breezes taste of apple peel." October -- "Frost bites the lawn." November -- "The ground is hard,/As hard as stone." December -- "We were fat penguins,/Warm and stiff." The subjects of sun, earth, plants, animals, and change recur in almost each poem. One of the charms of this book is that it makes the harsh weather interesting and appealing, helping a child understand the balanced nature of the year and his or her role in that balance. For someone who lives in a warm climate year round this book will seem very magical. After you have finished enjoying the book, I suggest that you and your child partner discuss other cycles that she or he has noticed. You could talk about the daily cycle of the sun, the monthly cycle of the moon, the twice daily tides, or even three meals a day. Young people often have trouble developing a perception of context for what is going on around them. This book and your discussions can help. You will also encourage someone who may want to write some poetry. If so, why not start with January and describe what is happening where you live? See and hear the most in the beauty around you! Capture it for others to enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: A Vivid, Visual Introduction to Poetic Imagery
Review: Today, many children only know about poetry from Dr. Seuss. A Child's Calendar is a rich introduction to the imagery of poetry that has entranced all who listen since the days of wandering story tellers and shamen. In this volume, classic New England situations and events are beautifully illustrated in warm, heavily inked water colors showing beautiful brown and pink faces amid nature's wonders. Although no one would buy this volume solely for the poetry, the resulting book of illustrated verses makes for the raw material for a garden of happy memories tended by reading to your child (or grandchild) and listening while she or he learns to read to you. Each month is featured, beginning with January, with a brief poem and two beautiful illustrations spread over two pages. The illustrations are clearly well deserving of the Caldecott Honor. I found some of the imagery particularly meaningful, and these lines are included below: January -- "The sun a spark/Hung thin between/The dark and dark." February -- "And snapping, snipping/Scissors run/To cut out hearts." March -- "The timid earth/Decides to thaw." April -- "All things renew./All things begin." May -- "And Daddy may/Get out his hoe/To plant tomatoes/In a row." June -- "In golden hours,/Silver days." July -- "Bang-bang! Ka-boom!" August -- "The pavement wears/Popsicle stains." September -- "The breezes taste of apple peel." October -- "Frost bites the lawn." November -- "The ground is hard,/As hard as stone." December -- "We were fat penguins,/Warm and stiff." The subjects of sun, earth, plants, animals, and change recur in almost each poem. One of the charms of this book is that it makes the harsh weather interesting and appealing, helping a child understand the balanced nature of the year and his or her role in that balance. For someone who lives in a warm climate year round this book will seem very magical. After you have finished enjoying the book, I suggest that you and your child partner discuss other cycles that she or he has noticed. You could talk about the daily cycle of the sun, the monthly cycle of the moon, the twice daily tides, or even three meals a day. Young people often have trouble developing a perception of context for what is going on around them. This book and your discussions can help. You will also encourage someone who may want to write some poetry. If so, why not start with January and describe what is happening where you live? See and hear the most in the beauty around you! Capture it for others to enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Dandy Eye and Word Candy
Review: Updike creates a poem and word picture that accurately and wonderfully describes each month of the year. His short, simple poems are packed full of words and imagines that conjure up seasons and holidays, emotions and activities throughout the year. Hyman's illustrations are an added bonus, as she brings each month to life through the eyes of a family and their friends. I highly recommend this one -- it's beautiful
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