by Shelley Rotner; Holiday House, 2019.

Shelley Rotner is the author and photo-illustrator of a number of exuberant, timely, and highly-regarded informational books accessible to young children.

One of my favorite books by Shelley (co-written by Sheila M. Kelly) is Shades of People, a picture book that celebrates diversity. It is as relevant and affirming today as it was when it was published in 2009. Its companion Families is equally joyful, depicting all sorts of families in a variety of settings having fun sharing time together.     

Shelley’s most recent book, Hello Summer!, is the fourth and final installment in the Hello series of photo-illustrated celebrations of the seasons of the year.    

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“Adventures are what make a summer…”—Robertson Davies

 

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Why This Book? Why will this book matter to kids?

What’s not to love about summer—especially if you’re a young child embarking on endless days chock-full of adventure and exploration?

Shelley begins this paean to a jubilant season by reflecting simply—and clearly—on a few clues spring offers as it gives way to summer. A perfectly planned page turn brings us fully into the subject of the book.

“The sun is strong and hot.

We wear hats, sunglasses, and sunblock.

We go barefoot in the grass.”

A creative and inspired feature of the design of this book is the use of both color and size to highlight key words on each page. (Note page spreads depicted below.) This format will engage young listeners in making text-to-illustration, text-to-world, and text-to-self connections.

Shelley is adept at introducing all sorts of season-related science concepts to even the youngest of listeners. She clearly has a deep respect for and a keen understanding of her audience. From summer solstice to corn on the cob, children are  introduced to and revel in rich sensory delights of the splendid season that’s vividly depicted. Hello Summer! is a valuable book for building background knowledge, introducing simple science occurring all around us, and identifying the characteristics of changeable seasons. Fittingly, Shelley concludes the book with a nod toward autumn and its shorter days, cooler nights, and leaves beginning to turn. But, you know what? I’m not going to think about that now…   

 

 

 

© Shelley Rotner

Grade level: Pre-K-2

Social-Emotional Learning Themes

Curiosity, joy, playfulness, friendship, respect for nature, adventure, mindfulness

Content Area Connections
Science: nature, seasons, summer solstice, weather, plants, animals, bugs, beach habitat, discovery, the five senses; seasonal holidays, seasonal foods, sensory imagery, outdoor activities; reading to learn

Using This Book in the Classroom

Hit the Ground Running
Ready Resources for Educators, Homeschoolers, and Parents

I am a fan of back matter in informational books, especially picture books. At the back of this book you will find a simple glossary appropriate to the audience. Review the words and their definitions. Find them in the text and re-read how they are used in the sentence. Add the words to your speaking, listening, reading, and writing vocabularies. What other words from the book would your students add to the glossary?    

Write Away!

Ideas to prompt writing

Have students take photographs of the nature surrounding your school setting. Remind children to be patient, as Shelley mentions in her interview below. In this way, they will capture exciting moments in nature. Note that the author is also a photographer who has been taking photos since she was five years old.

Have children write simple captions for their photographs in the style of the book’s text.

Encourage children to use sensory language as the author does. Highlight examples from the book.

Which words would they enlarge? Why?

What color should the print be? Why?

Discuss how the photographs and captions might be arranged to create a story. Is there a beginning, a middle, and an end to their summer story, as there is to Hello Summer!?

Make a display. Consider collating the photographs and text to create a class book. Develop a glossary. Place the book in the classroom library.

Shelley reveals in the interview below that spring is her favorite season. Share this information with your students. Ask children to tell which is their favorite season. Why? Remind children to support opinion with details. Have students explore the Hello series book about their favorite season. Which is their favorite photo in the book? Why? What other photos might they add to the book? Why? Which photo was most surprising?

Poetry Break 

Related poetry to recite before or following the reading of this book

Poetry breaks fit perfectly into brief moments in the day—from opening or closing the daily morning meeting to lining up for lunch; from zipping up backpacks and jackets to transitioning from one subject to the next.  Reading a poem typically takes less than a minute, yet it can introduce or reinforce a concept, celebrate language, exemplify rhythm, enhance vocabulary, expand understanding, increase attention span, summon a giggle, or initiate reflection. And poetry soothes the spirit.

Poetry collections suggested for use with Hello Summer! Some of these books also treat other seasons of the year:

• When Green Becomes Tomatoes: Poems for All Seasons by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Julie Morstad
• Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems by Paul B. Janeczko, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
• Cricket in the Thicket: Poems about Bugs by Carol Murray, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
• Fireflies at Midnight by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Ken Robbins
• Ocean Soup: Tide Pool Poems by Stephen R. Swinburne, illustrated by Mary Peterson
• A Child’s Calendar by John Updike, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman
• The Seasons: Poetry for Young People edited by John N. Serio, illustrated by Robert Crockett
• Summersaults by Douglas Florian
• UnBEElievables: Honeybee Poems and Paintings by Douglas Florian

And Then There’s This…

Enrichment activities, related books, online resources, craft projects, and ideas for further study

Consider your setting, your students, and their breadth of background knowledge. What in this book have your students experienced? What summery experiences can you provide? What opportunities for widening horizons—and building concepts—exist?

Here are some simple ideas:

Take a walk around the school neighborhood. Notice the trees, the clouds, the blue skies.

Revel in the senses. Smell flowers, listen to birds and bees and summer storms.

Play I Spy: embark outside and spot items from a list prepared together beforehand,

Make a list of favorite summer foods, then feature the flavors of summer at a family, community, or school-wide picnic.

Walk in the summer rain.

Discuss the importance of sunscreen and sunglasses.

Start a class garden.

Read about the importance of bees and pollen, butterflies, aphids, and other garden helpers. Visit a park, a beach, a pond or river, a county fair, or a water park if at all possible.

Learn about ducks, geese, and other waterfowl; salamanders, frogs, toads, turtles, local fish, owls, and birds native to your area.

Talk about ways to relax in the summer.

Enjoy the other books in the Hello series.

Learn about Shelley’s many books at TeachingBooks.net and ReadingRockets.org.

Additional Books of Interest on Topics Touched Upon in Hello Summer!

• The Bee Book by Charlotte Milner
• beetle bop by Denise Fleming
• Fabulous Frogs by Martin Jenkins, illustrated by Tim Hopgood
• Flight of the Honey Bee by Raymond Huber, illustrated by Brian Lovelock
• Frog Song by Brenda Z. Guiberson, illustrated by Gennady Spirin
• Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert
• The Honeybee by Kirsten Hall, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault
• The Last Peach by Gus Gordon
• Last Day Blues by Julie Danneberg, illustrated by Judy Love
• Mama Built a Little Nest by Jennifer Ward, illustrated by Steven Jenkins
• Nest by Jorey Hurley
• Thundercake by Patricia Polacco
• Toad by the Road: A Year in the Life of These Amazing Amphibians by Joanne Ryder, illustrated by Maggie Kneen

 

 

 

About the Author

Shelley Rotner (last name pronounced WROTE ner) is an award-winning author and photo-illustrator of over thirty-five children’s books. Her most recent books include:  Hello Spring!, Hello Autumn!, Hello Winter!, and Hello Summer! ; Families, Body Bones, Body Actions, Colors, Shades of People, Yummy! Good Food Makes Me Strong, I’m Adopted!, Whose Eye Am I? and Grow, Raise, Catch.

Rotner is also a noted free-lance photojournalist, whose work has appeared in Time Magazine, National Geographic’s World Magazine, Condé Nast Traveler, Outside Magazine, Food and Wine Magazine,and GoNomad. She has traveled extensively for UNICEF documenting programs about children, women health, and education.

Currently, Rotner is working on a collection of large hand-painted photographs that capture beautiful and sacred places she has discovered in her travels.

For more information, visit Shelley Rotner’s website.

Q&A with Shelley Rotner

Shelley graciously responded to a few questions about When Sue Met Sue and her creative process.

Judy Bradbury: How did you come to write this book? What seeded its creation?

Shelley Rotner: Hello Summer! is the last book in my seasons series which includes Hello Spring!, Hello Autumn!,and Hello Winter!  I have to admit, spring is my favorite season. After finishing that book my editor asked if I would write and photo-illustrate the other seasons. While my books appeal to younger kids, I realized there is always something new to learn—even for older kids.

JB: Tell about one hurdle you experienced in the creation of Hello Summer! or provide a memorable (or humorous!) anecdote related to the making of this book.

SR: I wanted to make sure, like the other books, that I kept a poetic quality and did not have a “text book” feel. I wanted to show the beauty of the season.

 

 

© Shelley Rotner

JB: Learning abounds in this seemingly simple book. Hello Summer! revels in the energy of the season. You depict diversity in the children photographed, and you subtly reinforce respect for nature. What is the primary objective of Hello Summer! and the Hello series?  

SR: I think the primary objective of the Hello series is to show a diverse group of kids interacting with each season through the beauty and awareness of what makes that season unique and special.

JB: How do you see Hello Summer! connecting to the curriculum?

SR: I think all of my seasons books are relevant to curriculum. Kids pay attention to the seasons. It affects what they do. I’ve done classroom workshops where kids pick their favorite season and show and tell why. I think Hello Summer! is a good segue to talking about the end of the school year and what might come.

 

 

© Shelley Rotner

JB: What did you learn from creating this book?

SR: I learned that the seasons actually shift before we realize it, marked by the equinox or the solstice, but there is a slow change giving way to the next.

JB: What would surprise readers to learn about you or about the creation of this book?

SR: I think it might surprise readers to learn that I’ve been a photographer since I was 5 years old. I almost always have a camera with me to catch a special moment. I have learned to be very patient—waiting and observing animals and insects to capture the perfect photo.

JB: What do you hope readers will take away from your book?

SR: I hope those who read my book will be more aware and observant of the nature that surrounds them and that they will learn something new.

JB: What is one question you wish I had asked, and what is your answer?

SR: How many books have you done?

Answer: I just finished my 54^th book, and I’m working on a few new ones!

 

Book Giveaway!

Subscribers who leave a comment will be entered in a drawing to win a copy of Hello Summer!. A winner will be chosen randomly and announced when the next review is posted.

And…the winner of a copy of When Sue Met Sue by Toni Buzzeo is poliphant! Congratulations!

The winner of the second signed copy of Squirrel in the Museum is gniemel! Congratulations!