SUMMER

In the wake of Autumn (1997) and Spring (1999) come 26 more seasonal scenes, accompanying ingenious acrostic poems: "Blankets and umbrellas, / Endless miles of sand, / And one / Constant / Hum of wind and waves." In serene, neatly composed linoleum cuts filled with subtly modulated colors trimmed by the perfect use of the black line, Evans depicts shoreline and small town, gazebo, luxuriant gardens, and a picnic table crowded with goodies, all laid out for the enjoyment of a multiethnic cast of young folk. "Zigzag lines / Of stars / Divide the heavens / Into / Autumn's twinkling / Constellations," over a backyard campout to signal summer's end. It's another tour de force, as blissfully evocative as it is technically accomplished. Should be inspiration for classrooms, poets, and wordworkers. (Picture book/poetry. 6-8)