- Seasons, by Anne Crausaz (Kane Miller, unpaged) $20.50
"TO everything there is a season" and lately there have been several lovely books published that deal with this theme.
The most artistically beautiful of them must be Seasons by Anne Crausaz, which is not really a story but rather a collection of literary and visual snapshots of the many pleasures to be found in nature as the year progresses. The perspective changes from up close to a view of remote landscapes and features a little girl observing and mostly interacting with flowers, bugs, leaves and snow as she savours a variety of scents, sights and tactile sensations. The illustrations, all double-page spreads, are truly exquisite. The stylized, finely detailed drawings against a white background are reminiscent of Japanese prints. The text as well brings to mind haiku especially with regard to the picture of snowflakes drifting onto an empty field. "Shhhh. Listen to the silence of the snow" is the perfect accompanying phrase. Readers will want to look at this picture book over and over again as they are reminded of their own special memories of seasonal wonders in nature.
Other titles about the seasons and fall are as follows:
- A Bear for all Seasons, by Diane Marcial Fuchs;
- A Bunny for all Seasons, by Janet Schulman;
- Green Eyes by A. Birnbaum;
- Here Comes the Year, by Eileen Spinelli;
- Leaf Man, by Lois Ehlert;
- Leaves, by David Ezra Stein;
- Listen, Listen by Phyllis
Gershator; The Little Yellow Leaf, by Carin Berger;
- Seasons, by Blexbolex, and
- Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit: A Book of Changing Seasons, by Sung Na.
Fran Ashdown is the children's Librarian at the Capilano branch of the North Vancouver District Public Library. Her favourite season is fall because that is when lots of new books are published. For more library information, check out www.nvdpl.ca.
