When Green Becomes Tomatoes

Starred review from December 21, 2015
In a contemplative tour of the year, Fogliano and Morstad sensitively yet strongly evoke seasonal experiences like standing at the ocean’s edge, anticipating sweater weather, and uncovering acres of mud beneath melting snow. The poems—roughly a dozen per season, and all given dates—range from just a few lines (“just like a tiny, blue hello/ a crocus blooming/ in the snow” for March 22) to longer reflections: the July 10 poem that lends the book its title (“when green becomes tomatoes/ there will be sky/ and sun/ and possibly a cloud or two,” it begins) reads like it could have been a standalone companion to Fogliano’s If You Want to See a Whale. Working in gouache and pencil, Morstad (Swan) creates an appealing, multiracial cast of children in scarves and swimsuits, pajamas and parkas, while helping highlight the way that small things—a sprouting plant, a falling leaf—can herald big changes. Ages 6–10. Illustrator’s agent: Emily Van Beek, Folio Literary Management.

Starred review from January 15, 2016
Forty-eight short poems follow the four seasons, beginning and concluding on March 20, a bird singing, "each tweet poking / a tiny hole / through the edge of winter," as spring comes round again.Fogliano's intimate, graceful verse and Morstad's precise, bright illustrations evoke the ways that weather, water, sky, and growing things change throughout the year. Fogliano catalogs both dramatic and quotidian pleasures and acknowledges the boredom that comes with too much mud, rain, or winter. Each poem is dated, as in a journal; every word, including the pronoun "I," is lowercase; commas, parentheses, and occasional sets of quotation marks are the only punctuation. These quietly conversational poems include moments of lively energy--wind on a hilltop or the jubilant dizziness of a summer meadow. Morstad's exquisite gouache-and-pencil-crayon art is well-matched to the delicacy of the poetry. A lovely young girl with straight black hair and brown skin appears alone or with friends throughout; readers may identify her as the voice in many of the poems. Bright flowers lean on slender stalks; in a double-page spread that evokes Time of Wonder, stars wink in the vastness of a late-summer sky. The tiniest points of color draw the eye so that even mud and snow are hardly dreary. This combination of poetry and art in praise of the familiar, natural world is sweetly, successfully dazzling. (Picture book/poetry. 4-10)

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Starred review from March 1, 2016

K-Gr 3-Fogliano celebrates the four seasons through journal entries in poetic form. Starting and ending with March 20, the vernal equinox, the author marks randomly chosen days with short, free verse observations ("if you want to be sure/that you are nothing more than small/stand at the edge of the ocean/looking out."). The timely text describes blooming crocuses, rainy spring days, warm summer sun, and falling leaves. Cleverly written and personal in nature, these offerings convey the beauty of the seasons. Fogliano creates verses that capture not only the colorful images of nature but also the human emotions that the changing seasons evoke. Morstad's simple, inviting illustrations express a sense of wonder. Spreads filled with gentle, watercolor depictions of children experiencing seasonal activities include some surprising details that demand closer perusal and wonderfully complement and extend the text. Teachers will also appreciate how this title lends itself handily to classroom lessons on writing poetry and personal journal narratives. VERDICT Highly recommended.-Carole Phillips, Greenacres Elementary School, Scarsdale, NY

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from December 15, 2015
Grades 1-4 *Starred Review* This slim book provides a nuanced look at a familiar theme: poetry for the seasons. Taking a diary-like approach, the text begins and ends with the spring equinox, offering poems for different days throughout the year. A bluebird's song starts things off, poking / a tiny hole / through the edge of winter / and landing carefully / balancing gently / on the tip of spring. Verse by verse, day by day, the snow melts, April showers fall, magnolias bloom, berries ripen, warm rivers beckon swimmers, fireflies twinkle, a new school year starts, leaves turn, and winter returns. The poems stand on their own as solidly as they connect to each other, inviting multiple readings to experience the details. Fogliano's (If You Want to See a Whale, 2013) descriptions are laden with imagery, evoking the sensations felt by a change in temperature or the flavor of a blueberry. Complementing the poems are Morstad's gouache and pencil-crayon illustrations, which range from effectively simple (a firefly glowing in the dark) to tantalizingly detailed (spot the inchworm or the ladybug in the shrubs). A multiracial cast of children relishing the delights of the seasons adds to this title's appeal. Pair with Paul B. Janeczko's Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems (2014) for another poetic look at the seasons.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)