In a companion to When Autumn Comes (1990), Maass captures another season's essence in outstanding photos. A young African- American enjoys the sparkling water that drenches her beatific grin; a toddler samples one strawberry in a lush field of the ripe fruit; two kids race between rows of knee-high corn. Maass has an extraordinary facility for recalling sensations with his exquisitely composed images: a water-skipper and its larger shadow on the bottom of a pond; bees hovering over blossoms, an artful blend of sharp focus and impressionistic blur; a pensive ballplayer privately kissing his trophy. Between the day school's out and the day it begins again, the passage of time is marked by carefully chosen clues (gardens, light, activities), while the brief, lyrical text ties it all together. Splendid. (Nonfiction/Picture book. 3-9)
