Mama, Is It Summer Yet? By Nikki McClure
This is really nice. I liked the illustrations a lot even though there were few color used. The drawing style is nice. Everything, story and illustrations, are simplistic but quite good. Nikki McClure I was dropping by the library to pick up a stack of books last night and instantly recognized the illustration style of the artist Nikki McClure on the cover of this book. I liked her Waiting for High Tide a lot (though others didn’t so much: Low Goodreads ratings). The artwork is made from paper cuts, made with an X-acto knife, cutting out images from a single sheet of paper.
She writes, in an endnote: First, I draw the image on black paper, and then I cut it out with an X-Acto knife. I try to keep everything connected by a path of black paper. The paper becomes lace-like as the image emerges. I decide the width of line and what will be black or white as I cut. There is no erasing, so if I make a mistake, I just have to keep cutting and find a solution. The cut paper is then scanned, and color is added digitally. I love that.
The story itself isn’t all that original or surprising. But it’s a simple, sweet tale of a mother and son, the son anxious for summer. And after so many repeats of the refrain, “Not yet, little one” Mama finally affirms the arrival of summer and it’s finally all about picking strawberries and sitting in a wading pool. It’s lyrical, the poetry of motherhood and nature.
I like that McClure has another dimension to her work. She’s one of visual artists associated with K and Kill Rock Stars record labels, as well as the Riot Grrrl movement. I guess you can be an activist and write sweet parenting picturebooks and be the same person! Huh! Nikki McClure A sweet, gentle story in which a little boy eagerly (and repeatedly!) asks his mother if it is summer yet. She reminds him of some of the signs to watch for so he'll know when summer comes, and these are cleverly juxtaposed against what they are doing/seeing in the current spring-time. I appreciate the talent that went into the illustrations though I am not sure they were especially my cup of tea. Still, the story is wonderfully lyrical and I very much enjoyed it. Nikki McClure I had to give it a 5⭐ review as I am restlessly waiting to finish this school year and enjoy summer😎 Nikki McClure Leading up to summer w Nikki McClure's amazing art work. Nikki McClure
Young children see the passage of time through the seasonal changes to the world around them in this charming book, illustrated with Nikki McClure’s extraordinary cut-paper art. A little boy who can’t wait for summer keeps asking his mama, “Is it summer yet?” Mama says, “Not yet, little one,” then points to the signs that spring is turning to summer—the softening of the earth, the nest-building of squirrels, the singing of birds—and encourages her son to savor the beauty of spring.Following the success of All in a Day, Nikki McClure once again uses her unique paper cutouts to showcase wonderful images of nature and the joys of family and the outdoors, creating a book that is both timeless and fresh.
Printed on recycled paper!
Praise for All in a Day
New York Times bestseller
Publishers Weekly bestseller
[STAR] “This uplifting picture book succeeds in introducing children to the perennial promise of tomorrow through lithe language and honed imagery.” —Kirkus, starred review
[STAR] “A handsome, effective piece of bookmaking that captures the glory of a day and the possibilities it holds.” —Booklist, starred review
Mama, Is It Summer Yet?
A young boy and his mother observe natural phenomena leading up to summer. Nikki McClure Not only is this book thematically concerned with mothers, it’s also ties in nicely with the spring season when Mother’s Day is. The unique cut-paper art illustrations in this book are bold, with a lot of black and white contrast and usually just one distinct other colour. And although the story is simpler than the first book, there is definitely some rare vocabulary: “bud,” “swell,” “sprout,” “root,” “swallow [the bird],” “bold,” “ducklings,” and “blossom.” This is definitely a great resource that not only shows the bond between a mother and child but also teachers about the seasons and all the natural changes that occur in each as it changes from winter to summer. The single colour that is featured on each page in addition to the black and white corresponds to something important in the illustration and to that particular time of the season, reinforcing the concepts. As research shows that preschoolers are still having a hard time conceptualizing the passage of time, this book is a lovely visual and colour-coded depiction of that concept told through the season’s natural changes. Nikki McClure A cute and simple picture book for young kids who always ask if it’s summer yet! This book helps kids see the signs in nature ☺️ Nikki McClure Lovely and bold papercut (or woodcut, not sure) illustrations are the centerpiece of this nature-forward book about seasons. Nikki McClure A young boy impatiently waits for his favorite season of the year, while his mother encourages him to stop and notice the world around him. Nikki McClure
CHARACTERS Mama, Is It Summer Yet?
