Firsts and Lasts: The Changing Seasons
by Leda Schubert, Clover Robin (Illustrator)

3 out of 5 stars

Two sisters chronicle their activities through the seasons, listing all the firsts and lasts of each time of year. In Spring, it’s the last time for a snow day, but the first time for a picnic in the park. In Summer, they wear their flannel pajamas for the last time, and run barefoot for the first time. In Fall, it’s the last time to pick fresh vegetables, and the first time to eat hot soup. In Winter, they watch the geese fly south for the last time, and drink hot chocolate for the first time.
The lovely thing about this book is that you know all these first and last times will come around again next year!

The Song of the Nightingale
by Tanya Landman, Laura Carlin (Illustrator)

3 out of 5 stars

At the beginning of the world, the animals had no colors. So the painter lines them all up and gives each animal its stripes, spots, and colors. The ladybugs, lions, elephants, flamingos, and crocodiles all get their distinctive colors. The zebras and tigers get their stripes. Even the whales get their deep blue color. With the last pot of paint, the painter gives a special coat of gold paint to the golden scarab beetle. But when the day is done and all the animals have gone, a shy nightingale approaches the painter. There is only one drop of golden paint left on the painter’s brush, and the painter drips it down the nightingale’s throat. Golden notes of music echo through the cool night air!