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Author: Ellen Weiss

Publisher: Brighter Minds Children’s Publishing

ISBN: 157791312-4

            Everyone knows that small children have short attention spans. You have to work hard to get them to sit still even for a few minutes. Well, the truth is, you don’t work hard at all—you succeed or you don’t. If your toddler doesn’t want to sit and read with you, she won’t. The trick is to find a book that stimulates her senses. Each page has to reveal more than a cute picture for the youngest reader to sit still long enough to experience the book. In other words, the best board books are usually interactive.

            Winter Spring Summer Fall by Ellen Weiss allows the youngest readers to discover Earth’s four seasons by touching. What child doesn’t want to touch everything? Throw in a cute story and whimsical artwork and you have a hit with almost any toddler. In fact, I suspect preschoolers will enjoy this book because the tactile sensations are so unusual. First, a frozen pond and a furry bunny get your baby’s attention. Then, they experience a sandy beach and finally…crinkle...crinkle…fall leaves that feel and sound real.

The lucky baby who finishes the book will find everything repeated in miniature at the end—a second chance! Parents will find a page of helpful learning activities.

            With several board books in my library, this is the book my fourteen month old granddaughter chooses for herself. This is the book she actually sits still for. This is the one she insists on repeating so she can do it all again. Occasionally, she even sits still long enough to learn a few facts or two about nature…brrrrr… it’s so cold…

The above review was contributed by: Susan Sales Harkins:  Software consultant and the author of several articles and books on database technologies. She and her husband, William, collaborate on children's non-fiction. Click Here to read more of Susan’s Reviews