Natsumi's Song of Summer

March 30, 2020
Weston writes his tale in elegant tanka, a form defined in his author’s note—it’s a haiku-like poem with two additional lines of seven syllables each. Natsumi’s summer pleasures include “sun, the heat, the cool bursts/ of plum rain, heavy and sweet.” This summer, her cousin Jill, whom she has never met, comes to Japan to share in those enjoyments. They become fast friends, but Natsumi hesitates before showing Jill the cicadas whose calls fill the air: “Insects frightened some people./ What if Jill was frightened, too?” In Saburi’s digital art, the two cousins are wide-eyed, doll-like figures; Jill, with dark brown skin and black hair, peers into the tree branches as pink-skinned Natsumi worries. Fortunately, Jill loves the cicadas, and when she learns that the insects wait for years before emerging “to meet their friends,” she spots the parallel: “Just like us,” she tells Natsumi. Saburi’s thick black lines recall traditional Japanese woodblock prints, and she portrays the creatures and summer flowers that Natsumi treasures in rich detail. In the collaborators’ (Sakura’s Cherry Blossoms) handling, Natsumi’s cross-cultural friendship with Jill centers on a shared love of natural life and models openness to new experiences. Ages 3–7.

April 15, 2020
Preschool-G Natsumi loves everything about Japan in the summer, especially the cicadas. This summer is extra special because she will meet her American cousin Jill for the first time. The two young cousins are kindred spirits from the start and go on excursions together. When Jill wonders about the thrumming sound she hears everywhere, Natsumi worries that she'll be scared but discovers that Jill also appreciates insects. The illustrations are done in Photoshop and mix bold outlines with backgrounds that mimic woodblock printing. The bright color palette of greens and aqua is appropriate for the gentle tone of the story. Though the narrative has minimal dramatic conflict, the artwork conveys dynamism with diagonal elements (e.g., lanterns swaying in the wind, a tree trunk reaching to the sky). The Obon festival scene is visually striking with the glow of yellow lanterns against dark purple shadows. The text is presented in the form of tanka poems (five lines with 31 syllables) and features lovely phrases with strong alliteration. A pleasant choice for a summer or insect-themed storytime.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

Starred review from April 1, 2020
Poetry and art harmoniously evoke the simplicity of a summer friendship set in Japan. Natsumi, a young peach-skinned girl with straight, dark hair, was born in lotus season. Her name means "the sea in summer," and summer seems to run through her veins. She loves the heat, the outdoor activities, "the cool bursts / of plum rain, heavy and sweet." Eye-catching illustrations, done in a seasonal palette of pinks, greens, blues, and purples, capture the flora and fauna of these few months--especially the cicadas. Natsumi is intrigued by these fleeting flyers and seeks them out when they arrive. On her birthday, her cousin Jill, a girl with brown skin and curly hair, comes on a plane to visit, and Natsumi worries whether they will be friends, whether Jill will like Natsumi's world. Long stalks of bamboo and swaying paper lanterns intersect the page here to denote Natsumi's anxiety. But in fact, Jill and Natsumi fit together like sun and summer, eating watermelon on the beach; dancing, kimono-clad, in a festival; and watching fireworks. But will Jill be frightened by the unfamiliar, buzzing cicadas? Their friendship unfolds page by page as they build a summer of memories together. Weston tells this sweet story in a sequence of tanka, a traditional Japanese poetic form that builds on haiku with an extra couplet. Weston explains the form in the backmatter and provides information about the cicada's significance in Japanese culture. Immersive illustrations and rich poetry urge young readers to slow down and appreciate nature. (Picture book. 3-6)

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