When Green Becomes Tomatoes: Poems for All Seasons

Julie Fogliano is the New York Times bestselling author of And Then It’s Spring and If You Want to See a Whale as well as the poetry collection, When Green Becomes Tomatoes. Recipient of the 2013 the Ezra Jack Keats award, her books have been translated into more than ten languages. Julie lives in the Hudson Valley with her husband and three children. When she is not folding laundry or wondering what to make for dinner, she is staring out the window waiting for a book idea to fly by.

Julie Morstad is an award-winning illustrator and artist living with her family in Vancouver, B.C.

december 29
and i woke to a morning
that was quiet and white
the first snow
(just like magic) came on tip toes
overnight

Flowers blooming in sheets of snow make way for happy frogs dancing in the rain. Summer swims move over for autumn sweaters until the snow comes back again. In Julie Fogliano's skilled hand and illustrated by Julie Morstad's charming pictures, the seasons come to life in this gorgeous and comprehensive book of poetry.

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, NYα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Complementing the poems are Morstad’s gouache and pencil crayon illustrations that 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. ―Booklist, starred review

"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. "―School Library Journal, starred

"This combination of poetry and art in praise of the familiar, natural world is sweetly, successfully dazzling."―Kirkus Reviews, starred

"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."― Publisher's Weekly, starred