Lemonade Sun

March 1, 1998
PreS-Gr 4-The richness of Dotlich's figurative language catapults readers into the midst of summer's fun, freedom, and wonder. The collection presents a complete roster of the season's creatures, celebrations, and feelings. "Double-Dutch Song," "Jump Rope Rhyme," and "Jump Rope Talk" capture the steady rhythm of jumping rope. "A Circle of Sun" ("I'm dancing./I'm leaping./I'm skipping about.") cries out for physical enactment. Even the joy of "Reading/books/outside/at last" is included. Metaphorical descriptions of everything from fireflies to fireworks readily focus the mind's eye. Gilchrist's brightly colored, vivid acrylic illustrations marry perfectly with the poetry. A wonderful addition that will be fun to read during any season.-Renee Steinberg, Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ

February 15, 1998
Ages 4^-8. Gilchrist's bright, sturdy acrylics work well with these child-friendly poems, simple but graced with the occasional fabulous image: sunflowers as "garden kings / with chocolate eyes" or a firefly as a "Rhinestone in / a jelly jar." Some poems on walking barefoot, dragonflies and bumblebees, and selling lemonade might be more accessible to country children than to city ones, but the joys of jump rope and jacks seem to be universal. The racially diverse cast of children who inhabit these sidewalks and meadows have individual charm; some, such as the titian-haired moppet who peers from behind a sunflower, could be portraits. ((Reviewed February 15, 1998))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1998, American Library Association.)