Circle of Seasons

Rating:
Summary: The wheel keeps on turning
Review: As summer moves into fall, fall into winter, winter into spring, and back to summer again, children need to be reassured that the cycle of life continues. Muller's picture book takes children through the seasons of the year with simple text, gentle illustrations, and a comforting tone. Though I wish the Winter section included more holidays (Christmas and Hannukah are represented), overall children will easily relate to the pictures and story. I especially love the two-page spreads devoted only to drawings. My children love to look at these drawings and always find something new.

Rating:
Summary: Seasons change, and so do kids
Review: I was attracted to this book by the lovely colors of the drawings, but after reading it several times to my children, I appreciate it even more for its interweaving of seasonal changes with children's activities. And I like the homey scenes in which children interact with adults. Children toss leaves in the autumn and make snowmen in the winter in Muller's book, but they also sit in the backyard amid the fireflies after a summer family picnic, help grandmother decorate for the holidays, ride in a horse-drawn farm wagon with dad in the fall. This book marks the seasons the way kids do--by what holiday or special family time comes next. And it does it with lush illustrations that reflect the warm family feelings associated with each individual season of the year

Rating:
Summary: This book is a gem
Review: Okay, I don't have this this book, but I have the set of four from which Seasons was formed. If I can get copies of Seasons (it is listed as unavailable at this time) it will become my favorite gift to new parents. I have four children, and Muller's season books have been favorites of ours for about eight years. Beautiful paintings, children engaged in interesting activities, lots and lots of connections between pages that are revealed to the observant "reader" only after many viewings.