Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn Perfect Picture Book Friday

A child takes a walk and discovers all the ways nature is preparing for the change of seasons.

text copyright Kenard Pak, 2016, illustrations copyright Kenard Pak, 2016, Henry Holt and Co.

When the morning air feels crisp, and leaves begin to turn and fall, we are reminded that saying goodbye to one season means embracing the onset of another. ​And that's what Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn is all about.

As a young child ventures through the countryside, a town, and back home again, greeting the surroundings with a friendly, "Hello!" different facets of nature respond, reflecting how each one is coping with the changing weather.  Written as a conversation between a child and the natural world, this warm and inviting picture book, with its rich illustrations and lovely use of color,  invites readers to snuggle up, settle in, and enjoy the world all around.

Title:  GOODBYE SUMMER, HELLO AUTUMN

Author and Illustrator:  Kenard Pak

Publisher:  Henry Holt and Co., 2016

Ages:  4-7

Themes:  Nature and Wildlife, Seasons, Change, Adaptability 

Here are a few activities to consider, that align with the themes of this book:

• Take a nature walk. Observe signs of the current season. Are there any visible hints that the season might be changing?
• Choose an object in the natural world--a tree, a chipmunk, a puddle--and write a story, including dialogue, about a conversation you would have with it, about the changing seasons. What does it do when the weather changes? How does it prepare for winter? 
• Conversation starters:  "Do you like change, or do you prefer things to stay the same? Why?" "What is your favorite season, and why?" 

Looking for more perfect picture books?  Check out Susanna Leonard Hill's website!