In the Middle of Fall

Description

In the middle of fall, the sky is nearly gray, the leaves have already turned, and all it takes is one gust of wind to turn the world yellow and red and orange. Kevin Henkes's layered text features striking imagery, repetition, and alliteration to introduce basic concepts of language and the fall season. Laura Dronzek's expressive paintings illuminate pumpkins, apples, falling leaves, nut-collecting squirrels, and the transformation from colorful autumn to frosty winter. This engaging and vibrant companion to When Spring Comes is ideal for story time, seasonal units, and bedtime reading.

Kevin Henkes is the author and illustrator of more than fifty critically acclaimed and award-winning picture books, beginning readers, and novels. He received the Caldecott Medal for Kitten's First Full Moon in 2005, and Waiting won a Caldecott Honor and Geisel Honor in 2016. Kevin Henkes is also the creator of a number of picture books featuring his mouse characters, including the #1 New York Times bestsellers Lilly's Big Day and Wemberly Worried, the Caldecott Honor Book Owen, and the beloved Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse. His most recent mouse character, Penny, was introduced in Penny and Her Song; her story continued in Penny and Her Doll and Penny and Her Marble (a Geisel Honor Book). Bruce Handy, in a New York Times Book Review piece about A Good Day, wrote, "It should be said: Kevin Henkes is a genius." Kevin Henkes received two Newbery Honors for novels-one for The Year of Billy Miller, and the other for Olive's Ocean. Also among his fiction for older readers are the novels Junonia, Bird Lake Moon, The Birthday Room, and Sun & Spoon. Kevin Henkes has been published by Greenwillow Books since the release of his first book, All Alone, in 1981. His fiftieth book, the picture book Egg, was published in January 2017. Most recently, he is the author of In the Middle of Fall, Winter Is Here, Summer Song, A Parade of Elephants, Sweeping Up the Heart, and Penny and Her Sled. He lives with his family in Madison, Wisconsin. www.kevinhenkes.com. Laura Dronzek is a painter whose work has been exhibited nationally. Her picture books include the acclaimed Birds, by Kevin Henkes; Oh!, by Kevin Henkes; White Is for Blueberry, by George Shannon; Tippy-Toe Chick, Go!, by George Shannon; Moonlight, by Helen V. Griffith; It Is Night, by Phyllis Rowand; and, most recently, When Spring Comes, by Kevin Henkes. She lives with her family in Madison, Wisconsin.

"Author-illustrator duo Henkes and Dronzek extol the quiet splendors of autumn in this lyrical, exquisite complement to their previous seasonal outing. Henkes' text masterfully raises and stirs moods and sensations in pieces. A touching portrait of the fall season from two superb artists." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "From the husband-and-wife team behind When Spring Comes comes another stirring picture book about the changing seasons. Masterfully conceived and executed, this perfectly captures the sights and feelings many children experience during the transition from fall to winter." - Booklist (starred review) "Henkes and Dronzek's latest offering stands on its own as a quietly joyful paean to autumn. Closing endpapers decorated with lacy snowflakes put the final touch on this gorgeous offering. A picture book to fall for." - Horn Book (starred review) "Poetic text and lush-hued acrylic paintings depict a rural setting fully turned to autumn. Delightful details and sensory-rich images pack the pages. A must-have for autumn storytimes and investigations, this exquisite picture book will inspire youngsters to get outdoors and observe the world around them." - School Library Journal (starred review) "In the evocative companion to When Spring Comes, spouses Dronzek and Henkes praise the beauty of fall in full swing. It's a rich homage to the season-both its blazing colors and the signs of coming winter darkness." - Publishers Weekly "Henkes's gentle but vivid text has a cozy rhythm that makes this a lulling and evocative readaloud. Dronzek's full-bleed acrylic illustrations lean on autumnal russets and oranges, using the changing colors of the sky as it moves from slate to cyan for vibrant contrast. Lovely." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)