These books in the new Concepts: Seasons and Colors series are designed to be read aloud, inviting active participation from young listeners. Each book starts with a two-page introduction to the title season and ends with a summary page at the end. In between, the front of each page asks children to identify the color of an object in the photo, selecting from two choices set forth in the title, and the back confirms the correct answer. A page of front matter directed to parents and teachers lists educational connections and suggests further activities. The books’ premise is solid if not quite exciting, and each title has its own oddities. The names of nearly all the objects in Black and White in Winter—no matter their color—include the word snow: snowflakes, snow shovel, snow salt, snow pants, snow rabbit, snowman. Blue and Yellow in Summer offers readers the clearest examples of seasonal colors in action. The distinctions between the title colors in Brown and Orange in Fall are sometimes subtle, which could frustrate some children. Somewhat confusingly, a number of the pictures in Red and Green in Spring prominently feature objects in both colors. With the help of a good reader, these books are likely to engage young children and give adults a tool to help reinforce color recognition.
—Miriam Aronin, Booklist
