An African American boy enjoys a summer day on his family's farm, milking the cows, fishing, and having fun. reSchool-Grade 1-As the sun rises, a young African-American boy wakes up and begins his busy, enjoyable day on the family farm. Milking cows, feeding pigs, and plowing the field are some of the activities in which he takes part. A midday picnic and evening fishing with his father balance out the day, which concludes with bedtime stories, Pa playing his guitar, and Ma reading the mail. The story is told in a comforting, lulling rhyme ("Bees in the hive fruit on the trees. Summer sun's stirrin' a summertime breeze") that suits the wholesome setting perfectly. The illustrations, oil and acrylic on textured paper, are stylized and curved to reflect the lay of the land. A Texas farm served as the model for this book, expansively depicted on the double-page spreads. This is a nicely designed book, from its endpapers (saffron at the beginning, cobalt at the end) to its simple, homespun typeface. It truly conjures up a lovely summer's day on a farm, and can be used during storytimes or as a cozy one-on-one bedtime story. Anna DeWind Walls, Milwaukee Public Library Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. W.Nikola-Lisa's interest in writing began as an elementary school teacher. He isthe author of twenty-six books for readers young and old. Along with writingfor various aged readers, Mr. Nikola-Lisa writes in a variety of genresincluding historical fiction, creative nonfiction, juvenile and middle gradefiction, and memoir. Some of his titles include Bein' With You This Way , ShakeDem Halloween Bones , How We Are Smart ,and The Men Who Made the Yankees . Anaccomplished storyteller and musician, Mr. Nikola-Lisa enjoys sharing hiswriting experiences whenever possible.For more information, please visit his website at nikolabooks.com. Used Book in Good Condition