School Library Journal

Gr 2-5-Florian again displays his significant skill at wordplay in this companion to Winter Eyes (1999) and Summersaults (2002, both Greenwillow). Using simple rhyme schemes; invented words such as "autumnatically," "owlphabet," "fallicopters" (maple seeds); and descriptive spellings ("hi-bear-nation," "industree"), he demonstrates that reading and writing can be lots of fun. His poems call to mind all manner of things autumnal-falling leaves, cool days, ripe apples, frost-and of the feelings that go with them ("-autumn leaves/Leave me in awe"). The childlike style of the various-sized watercolor and colored-pencil paintings (in fall colors, of course) mirrors the creative style of the age group most inclined to read the poetry. A natural for use in classrooms and library programs, and accessible to newly independent readers, these poems will delight youngsters.-Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

ALA Booklist (Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2003)

In his third collection of seasonal poetry, Florian presents a winsome series of poems about fall, with the punning theme of the title carried throughout. Using rhyme, meter, and those puns to good effect, as well as changes in fonts and type, he adds to the sense of movement and joy in the poetry. School, holidays, playtime, and observation all figure here: A Tree-tice (treatise) on arithmetics combines leaves and counting; Geese Piece answers the question it poses by its placement in the vee formation of Canada goose migration. The watercolor-and-colored-pencil art is best at its simplest: a single red-purple apple on golden ground; a flame-colored leaf and bough reminiscent of Japanese brush painting. Pull this out with Steven Schnur's Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic (1999) and Cynthia Rylant's In November (2000).

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Similar to Florian's other seasonal collections, <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Winter Eyes and <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Summersaults, the wordplay in this fall bouquet of poems seem slightly worn, while repeated and obvious puns often strain for effect. For example, "What to Do with Autumn Leaves" instructs readers to "<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">leave them"; the same pun recurs in "Symmetree" ("The leaves all leave") and in "Awe-tumn" ("Autumn leaves/ <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Leave me in awe"). Similarly, the device of seeing the word "fall" displayed as if the letters were falling is less effective, as other poems recycle the same device. Florian's paintings, on the other hand, are fresh and childlike (e.g., the bite taken out of the apple shown for "Apple Picking" looks like a face in profile; a girl literally feels "Decembrrrr's freeze" in a portrait that turns her neck and chin into a thermometer). And at its best ("Naughtumn," for example, describes what happens "as autumn slowly gets winturned"), the wordplay can be as vivid as fall foliage. Ages 5-up. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Aug.)

Kirkus Reviews

Florian continues his poetic examination of the seasons with this collection exploring different aspects of fall . He plays with both the concept of autumn and with the language commonly used to describe the season with lots of puns on fall/falling and poems with humorous titles such as "Hi-bear-nation" and "Naughtumn." Some instances of poetic license will need interpretation for children by an adult: "Autumnescent," "Tree-tice," and "Symmetree," while clever in concept, will not be readily understood without a mature reader's perspective on the wordplay. The 48 rhyming poems include explorations of traditional fall symbols and experiences such as pumpkins, migrating birds in flight, and changes in fall leaf colors and weather. There is nothing traditional about Florian's poetic style, however, and his crisp, colorful poems continue to surprise and delight the reader. His distinctive illustrations using watercolors and colored pencils complement the poems well, with a pair of tumbling children on the cover shown against a glowing golden leaf. (Poetry. 6-9)

Horn Book (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2004)

In his third offering of seasonal poems, Florian makes the most of autumn's transitional nature, building his signature puns from both its dual name ("Autumn f a l l s in late September") and from such familiar features as falling leaves ("Tree-tice") and animal behavior ("Hi-bear-nation"). The illustrations are appropriately less effervescent than those for Summersaults, and please the eye with lively textures, bold design, and imaginative humor.