HERE COMES THE YEAR

“I am . . .,” declare the months, as they introduce themselves, starting from the first, January, waking a red-haired child, “easing you out of your cuddle-down sleep” and ending with the last, December, “slowing the evening rush, pulling a blanket over the earth, dusting your dreams . . . hush . . . hush.” The blanket, seen on the end papers, is a cozy, tied quilt decorated with pastel seasonal themes, which unfortunately will be partially concealed under library preparation. Double-paged spreads offer space to depict the characteristics of each month with glorious colors that are “dazzling, bold” and descriptive verbs that “glisten,” “zing,” and “tint,” as they create melodious patterns that “tin-tin” tinkle. The rhymes jump, holler, and flow in all the right places, complemented by the watercolor-and-gouache illustrations. Spinelli (Sophie’s Masterpiece, 2001, etc.) and Narahashi (A Fawn in the Grass, 2001, etc.) have produced an impressive new calendar that will please both the eye and ear. (Picture book. 4-8)