The Weather Girls

February 15, 2018
Sixteen tiny tots march through the four seasons, finding much to do in the varied weather.The beginning immediately recalls Madeline--the yellow slickers, slim black sketching, and even two straight lines. However, there isn't a smallest among this group to steal the show; all 16 multiracial gals (though more have pale skin than not) share the spotlight equally. The first season they explore is summer. Following the lively rhymes ("A big, bright sun. / Let's have some fun! / We swim and dive and splash and run") the girls teeter on the edges of a diving board and snap to formation for a water-ballet routine. Fall has them marching through the city, leaping in leaf piles, and reaching up high for apples. Winter highlights Aki's willingness to play with perspective: the girls peer up into the falling snow, mouths open to catch the flakes, while readers look down on them from above. Spring is full of requisite flowers, and it also brings a final weather feat that never ceases to amaze. Two final pages include a small amount of background information on the seasons (accurate to temperate climates).A breezy seasonal storytime choice, though the art carries most of the weight--and does so delightfully. (Picture book. 3-6)

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January 1, 2018
In a story with echoes of Madeline (“It’s summertime. We rise and shine!/ All set to go, we form a line”), 16 girls see what the seasons have to offer, weatherwise and otherwise. Initially dressed in identical yellow rain slickers, the roundheaded girls have an array of skin and hair colors, and an opening spread names each one. From there, author-illustrator Aki moves through the seasons as the girls explore the water and woods in summer, notice the changes of fall, hike and build snowmen in winter, and take a springtime hot-air balloon ride. Aki’s bouncy, rhyming text evokes the emotion and action of each season, and she tailors her palette to the shifting year. Though the girls don’t get individual personalities, it’s clear they are independent, intrepid explorers, and Aki includes some lighthearted, unrealistic moments: one girl reaches out to pet a bear in the forest, and the girls stack themselves up like acrobats while riding a bicycle built for four. A concluding section offers additional seasonal details. Ages 4–8. Agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Agency.

March 1, 2018

PreS-Gr 1-Sixteen little girls, in two straight lines, dressed identical in yellow raincoats and blue pants yet each named and distinctive set off on a series of seasonal adventures. Through the seasons readers see them enjoying the outdoors, diving and splashing, exploring, running, and riding. Building snowmen, hiking mountains, picking apples, or skipping in a field. The simple and colorful cartoon drawings make each page lively and interesting. There are no grown-ups anywhere in the story, and it's unclear whether these girls are at a boarding school, an orphanage, or just at home, but there's an air of familiarity with the girls that's reminiscent of Ludwig Bemelmans's Madeline. VERDICT An enjoyable and a recommended addition for one-on-one and small group sharing.-Shana Shea, Windsor Public Library, CT

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2018
Preschool-G Who are the weather girls? Meet Laura, Annie, Jane, June, Sarah, Lucy, Kirsten, Joy, Miffy, Rebecca, Vanessa, Melanie, Cathleen, Zoe, Tilly, and Emily, all wearing yellow hooded jackets, carrying backpacks, and walking in line. The 16 children look identical, apart from their diverse skin tones and their curly, straight, braided, ponytailed, black, brown, reddish, and yellow hair. As the seasons change, so do their outdoor activities, from summer (swimming, hiking) to fall (apple picking, bicycling), winter (snow play, mountain climbing), and spring (butterfly watching, hot-air ballooning). One charming winter image shows them from above as they gaze upward at the falling snow. An illustrated, appended spread presents seasonal changes in nature. While there's neither a main character nor a strong narrative here, this picture book offers a visually engaging introduction to the seasons. The simple, rhyming text creates a framework for the digital artwork, which features precise line drawings, rhythmic compositions, and the colorfully clothed forms of the weather girls in each scene. The inviting jacket art will draw children to this attractive picture book.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2019
A diverse cast of sixteen girls relish the unique weather of each season and its accompanying activities in this light concept lesson in lively rhyme. "A big, bright sun. / Let's have some fun! / We swim and dive and splash and run." Aki's clean, dainty illustrations feature appealing pattern-driven compositions of the girls at play. Back matter briefly summarizes the primary characteristics of each season.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)