The Smell of Summer

Title: The Smell of Summer
Author: Mary Ann Hake
Series: Smells of the Seasons
Major Themes: Seasons, Smell, Senses, Summer, Blindness
Synopsis: A blind girl experiences summer through the sense of smell in this beautiful, gentle book.

A month or two ago, my girls and I enjoyed reading The Smell of Spring together. Now, we got to enjoy The Smell of Summer. They loved experiencing the season through the nose of a young blind girl.

This book is written in rhyme, with each page having four lines of poetry. Each page has a different topic. One double-page spread talks about the smell of various flowers, another has bees and the smell of honey, and on one page, the girl’s father is barbecuing meat, which she enjoys smelling. Some smells are not so pleasant, like when her dog gets all wet. She also enjoys the smell of the county fair, the beach, camping in the forest, and the fireworks on the Fourth of July.

The pictures in The Smell of Summer are delightful. They show a girl who, although she is handicapped, enjoys life and experiencing everything around her. This is a unique way to explore the world through a sense that is not normally talked about in children’s books. It is also a fun way to think about seasons. The only thing I did not enjoy about this book was that on one or two pages the rhymes felt forced and the rhythm was awkward. Otherwise, this book was a joy to read aloud and enjoy with my little girls. They loved looking for the girl’s pets, too; she has a variety of different animals.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

No warnings!

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The Smell of Spring Kate Shelley and the Midnight Express The Tiny Seed Eric Carle Classics