Leaves on trees
are green and bright
Abracadabra!
What a Sight!
Eleven gatefolds open to re-create the excitement and surprise of fall's arrival, revealing what happens when the leaves turn. Fall is a season of transition: apples are picked, and animals prepare for winter. Summer days are coming to an end, and there's a hint of winter in the air. Hocus Pocus, It's Fall! celebrates the magic of that in-between time.
July 4, 2016
O’Brien and Gal maintain that there’s something downright magical in the changing seasons in this follow-up to Abracadabra, It’s Spring! Gentle rhymes—broken up by phrases like “Open sesame!” and “Razzle dazzle!”—highlight cooling temperatures, the donning of sweaters, migrating birds, and other autumnal standbys; lifting full-page flaps reveals the completed rhymes while underscoring the idea that something special has taken place. In one scene, two children stare out over a green forest from their tree house; lifting the flap reveals a landscape transformed by vibrant orange, scarlet, and golden foliage (“Leaves on trees are green and bright./ Abracadbra!/ What a sight!”). Gal’s cozy mixed-media images feel simultaneously retro and contemporary, a subtle reminder that autumn’s pleasures are evergreen (so to speak). Ages 3–5. Author’s agent: Lara Perkins, Andrea Brown Literary. Illustrator’s agency: Morgan Gaynin.
June 15, 2016
Using the same pattern and format as their Abracadabra, It's Spring! (2016), O'Brien and Gal return to celebrate autumn."Summer days begin to cool. / Alakazam! // It's time for school." Two children, a brown child with fabulous, kinky hair and a white child with red pigtails, carry inner tubes up from the dock and wave to a younger white child sitting on a swing under a tree with leaves turning to red; when the gatefold's opened, both are lined up to board the school bus along with other kids, including a brown child in a wheelchair. Milkweed pods dry and burst; Canada geese begin their migration; green leaves turn brilliant scarlet and then fall to the ground; squirrels gather nuts while children gather apples and pumpkins; chipmunks curl up in their burrows while children put on their hats and sweaters. The whole joyous celebration culminates in a hayride with the happy group of multiracial children seen on previous pages all piled in. As in the previous book, O'Brien's rhymes and rhythms stick every landing; also as in the previous book, it stutters sequentially at one point, returning readers to a mostly green landscape after showing several images dominated by rusts and ochers. Gal's smudgy illustrations, a technology-spanning combination of charcoal on paper and digital collage, glory in the golds, crimsons, and russets of fall, adding contrasting blues and greens for extra pop. A buoyant welcome to the season. (Picture book. 3-5)
COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
August 1, 2016
PreS-A beautifully illustrated homage to all things autumnal. The gatefolds on each page open to reveal something magical about fall, like pumpkins transforming into jack-o'-lanterns. The simple, engaging text ("Pick a pumpkin, /orange and fat./Razzle dazzle!/Look at that!") is paired with Gal's layered charcoal on collage illustrations, which fill the pages with rich and appealing details. VERDICT Part of the series of seasonal picture books, this one is a great read-aloud for the preschool set. Recommended for purchase to enrich seasonal collections.-Sarah Wilsman, Bainbridge Library, Chagrin Falls, OH
Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
January 1, 2017
From the creators of Abracadabra, It's Spring! comes an homage to another season. Simple rhyming text incorporating magic words leads to gatefolds revealing fall's transformations: -Chipmunks dig / their burrows deep. / Sim sala bim! / They're fast asleep.- Illustrated with richly colored charcoal and digital-collage art, this is a perfect choice for autumn storytimes.
(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)