Rylant (Cat Heaven, p. 1035, etc.) presents four seasonal stories about the Meadow family of Blue Hill, Virginia, where the pace is gentle, and where there is time to stop and savor life. Although readers get to know the entire family, the central character is the younger of two boys, Willie. In summer they adopt a stray dog and are thrilled when she has seven puppies. In the fall, Willie and his father make a private fishing trip. A blizzard brings excitement to their lives, and in spring Willie pays tribute to his mother with an original and perfect Mother's Day gift. With its focus on everyday family life, this is a quiet, old-fashioned book, relying on Rylant's lyrical prose, fine attention to detail, and understated humor that will make readers wish they could move in with the Meadows. Beier's illustrations, interspersed throughout, feature landscapes, household objects, and the animal members of the family--all the details of a beloved home. (Fiction. 8-12)
