books:

	Summertime Dubose Heyward, Dorothy Heyward, ... Aladdin, 2002 - 32 pages average customer review:based on 5 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Summertime
and the livin' is easy,
Fish are jumpin',
and the cotton is high...

Nothing captures the feelings of summer better than the much-loved song from Porgy and Bess, "Summertime." Its majestic imagery and deep spirituality touch listeners today as they have for generations. Now, with acclaimed illustrator Mike Wimmer's lush oil paintings depicting a family's routine one summer day earlier in this century, an American classic takes on a whole new meaning. Including the score of the song, Summertime is both a gentle book for family sharing and a lavish gift to be treasured.

...there's a nothin'
can harm you
With Daddy and Mama
standin' by.

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hauntingly evocative of summertime in the south

I have always loved the song "Summertime," which my mother used to sing to my family when I was growing up. This book adds new layers of meaning to the song, with gorgeous illustrations depicting an African-American family living in the South. This is currently one of my thirteen-month-old daughter's top three favorite books, although it is not intended for her age group. She responds intensely to the images of the children in the swimming hole, the grandfather sleeping in his hammock, the mother baking an apple pie, and especially the last page where the baby is learning how to walk on the front porch. Although I have sung this book aloud to our daughter at least 100 times, I always look forward to singing it one more time. It's an absolute treasure.

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A Hit With Children

I am a second grade teacher who read this story to a group of second graders last fall. The students also had an opportunity to listen to the Louie Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald jazz rendention of the song. My students love the story and frequently read it along with the CD. I like the beautiful illustrations that accompany the story lyrics. The author did a wonderful job of combining vibrant illustrations with music lyrics to tell a wonderful story.


fantastic illustrations capture the experience of summer

I was completely charmed by the paintings in this book. They were skillfully done, and depict the summertime of an African-American family in the south. Very warm pictures of family life.

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this beautiful book should have won some awards!

This is a gorgeous book of oil paintings depicting a rural African-American family during the summer. The focus of the paintings is an expressive little girl enjoying the natural world and the comforts of home with her family. I am surprised it hasn't won any awards, b/c it is a stunning book. My 17 month old daughter loves this book and requests it over and over.


Wonderful...

I love this song by Ella Fitzgerald. The pictures in the book are wonderful, you can almost feel the heat of the sun and the sound of the cotton blowing in the breeze. A real winner that illustrates a family's summer and the love that surrounds them.

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