SUPER SUMMER

Goldstone’s final installment in his seasonal celebrations (Wonderful Winter, 2016, etc.) serves up all things summer.

“Summer is a…season of plenty” is the centering theme, and readers may tire of the word “plenty” by the end. Fittingly, a large number of page spreads are devoted to the heat—the length of days, how to protect yourself from the sun and keep cool, the role of sweat, how animals adapt to the weather. Goldstone also highlights flowers, devoting one spread to sunflowers and their heliotropism and another to the power of blooms to attract pollinators. Summer insects get a couple of spreads—one about harmless ones (at least to people) and another to stingers. The book concludes with a variety of types of vacation destinations (an amusement park, the woods, etc.) and ways to enjoy the months “in the water, on land, and in the air,” a look at summer celebrations, and the looming start of school. Backmatter includes six activities to fill summer days. As in the previous volumes, the photos (some stock, some by Goldstone) are a particular highlight. Bright colors, up-close pictures, photos cropped in fun, summery shapes, and a diverse array of kids who don’t seem overly posed fill the pages.

A solid ending to an excellent seasonal series.