Read, Read, Read, said the Baby: Is it warm enough for ice cream? by Violet Peto, illustrated by Victoria Palastanga

This mix of photographs and art is a nice introduction to the seasons for small children. Despite the obvious inaccuracy of the title (it's ALWAYS warm enough for ice cream, sometimes you just need more sweaters on beforehand) it presents lots of familiar signs of seasons in the midwest.

It starts in fall, showing tractors, apples, leaves changing colors, and cloudy weather. "Is it warm enough for ice cream?" nope, it's time for windy day activities. In winter it snows, animals hide, and it's far too cold for ice cream. It's time to play in the snow and drink hot chocolate. In spring the animals have babies, the flowers blossom, but it's still not ice cream time. It's time to play outdoors and enjoy the rain and garden. Finally, summer arrives. Everything is warming up, the insects and animals are out, and it's time for lots of summer treats like ice cream!

The book is a large, sturdy square with one spread showing different outdoor aspects of the season and the following spread showing how children interact with the season. A mixture of skin colors and races is shown. This is very definitely set in the midwest or a similar climate with four very clearly-defined seasons. This is perfect for my area, where tractors and apple picking are a recognized sign of fall and there's always snow at some point, even if (thanks to climate change) it shows up at weird times and unpredictable depths. The art is a little blah, but mixed with the photographs it is quite attractive.

Verdict: If you're in an area with four seasons and looking to add to your board books on this subject, this is a good choice.

ISBN: 9781465449867; Published 2018 by DK; Borrowed from another library in my consortium