THREE STARRED REVIEWS! • From multi-award-winning, New York Times bestselling duo Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, Now I See Summer is one in a unique quartet of board books that playfully shows the changing seasons from a kid’s point of view.
the house / the tree / the garden / me
Sparse and rhythmic text invites readers to explore a rural setting through different seasons, gently introducing everyday words. Envisioned as a set that also can be read as standalone books, each of the four volumes in this eye-catching series has identical text but different images that reflect the time of year. In summer, the tree has full green leaves, the sky is blue, a sweet treat is ice cream and the perfect hat shades you from the sun. Now I See Summer celebrates all the wonderful things about the season through a child’s eyes – and shows why it’s their favorite time of year.
A Book Riot Most Anticipated Children's Book of 2026
"Frequent creative collaborators Barnett and Klassen capture a year’s rhythms with stunning subtlety via a standout board book quartet that—across volumes named around the four seasons—matches spare text, identical in each work, with varying images that relay the passage of time." —STARRED REVIEW, Publishers Weekly
"Simple but profound, this perfectly petite board book is the embodiment of the adage 'less is more.' Cataloging the natural world in short phrases, Barnett understands how a child’s world is both expansive. . . . and intimate.” —STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus Reviews
"[A] gentle exploration of seasonal change seen through a child’s perspective. Simple language and clear visuals make the concept accessible for the readers, while caregivers will appreciate the thoughtful design." —STARRED REVIEW, School Library Journal
"The four books are inventive and appealing and surprising, as well. Even if you own many seasonal books for young readers and listeners, these are different." —Imaginary Elevators
THREE STARRED REVIEWS! • From multi-award-winning, New York Times bestselling duo Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, Now I See Summer is one in a unique quartet of board books that playfully shows the changing seasons from a kid’s point of view.
the house / the tree / the garden / me
Sparse and rhythmic text invites readers to explore a rural setting through different seasons, gently introducing everyday words. Envisioned as a set that also can be read as standalone books, each of the four volumes in this eye-catching series has identical text but different images that reflect the time of year. In summer, the tree has full green leaves, the sky is blue, a sweet treat is ice cream and the perfect hat shades you from the sun. Now I See Summer celebrates all the wonderful things about the season through a child’s eyes – and shows why it’s their favorite time of year.
Photos
Praise
A Book Riot Most Anticipated Children's Book of 2026
"Frequent creative collaborators Barnett and Klassen capture a year’s rhythms with stunning subtlety via a standout board book quartet that—across volumes named around the four seasons—matches spare text, identical in each work, with varying images that relay the passage of time." —STARRED REVIEW, Publishers Weekly
"Simple but profound, this perfectly petite board book is the embodiment of the adage 'less is more.' Cataloging the natural world in short phrases, Barnett understands how a child’s world is both expansive. . . . and intimate.” —STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus Reviews
"[A] gentle exploration of seasonal change seen through a child’s perspective. Simple language and clear visuals make the concept accessible for the readers, while caregivers will appreciate the thoughtful design." —STARRED REVIEW, School Library Journal
"The four books are inventive and appealing and surprising, as well. Even if you own many seasonal books for young readers and listeners, these are different." —Imaginary Elevators
