ALL YEAR ROUND

A celebration of the joys brought by each month of the year as seen through the eyes of a young child.

From January through December, there is always something to love. January is for tromping through the forest, February for drinking hot chocolate, March for blowing out birthday candles, June for zooming in a race car, and October for hiding behind a pumpkin. A delightfully depicted chubby-cheeked boy and his faithful cat enjoy it all, pictures both providing additional details and developing an ebullient mood. Each month is celebrated in a two-page spread, charmingly illustrated in color pencils on Mylar paper with a resulting soft and somewhat blurry feel. In January, the child wears a red snowsuit with blue hat and mittens, happily snowshoeing while his cat watches from the window; in June, he pedals a tricycle (his “little race car”) as the cat follows behind; in December, he’s back in his snowsuit for some skating, and his cat poses with the hat over her face. Originally published in French, the terse, poetic text evokes the different months in language a young child can easily relate to: in July, “I am so light I can fly, but I have no wings! / The water tickles my hair. / I swim upside down, my toes in the air.”

Joyful and sweet. (Picture book. 2-5)