Hello, Sun
by Julie Downing; illus. by the author
Preschool    Porter/Holiday    32 pp.
4/24    9780823452057    $18.99

In this companion to Hello, Moon (rev. 7/21), Downing records the activities of a group of woodland animals, including rabbits, bears, butterflies, and a hawk, as they engage in their daytime routines. The book sets a gentle tone: “Hello, sun! /Goodbye, night. / Sunrise chill, pale dawn light.” Similar quatrains (“Morning shines, /ferns unfurl. / Acorns crack. /Hungry squirrel”) detail the action, which includes frolicking, nest building, and even napping. A hawk flies overhead (“Feathers flash / all around”), interrupting the bucolic scenes, but the rabbits: “Hide away, /safe and sound.” Although yellow predominates the palette of the watercolors and liquid acrylics, Downing employs soft blues and greens in the flora and fauna to create a pastoral tableau that beautifully complements the rhythmic text.

Pubissue-From the March/April 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.