AUTUMN

A strong graphic presentation is balanced against the clear simplicity of an ingenious text in this captivating picture book. Schnur (Beyond Providence, 1996, etc.) creates an acrostic for each letter of the alphabet on an autumnal theme. For example, for the letter F, ``FROST'' is spelled by reading the lines vertically; the text reads ``From the window the/Rows of/Orange Pumpkins/Seem clothed in/Thin white shawls.'' The first letters of each line appear in cherry-red type and the rest in black, set in a box on each page of illustration. While the words are not haiku, they partake of the spirit of that poetic form in their spare, direct, and emotionally telling worth. Evans's pictures, executed in hand-colored linoleum cuts, are full of saturated colors with an elegant use of the black line of that medium. Accessible and intimate, they depict people, animals, household objects, and outdoor scenes; warm and cozy, they complement and further define this friendly read-aloud. (Picture book. 3-8)