"This read-along is a richly sensory experience. Set against appropriate musical selections. Updike's poems present vignettes of a family enjoying rituals throughout the year. Trina Schart Hyman's delightfully detailed watercolor illustrations portray a biracial family. Included sound effects of chirping birds, tromping feet, lowing cows, whirring insects, exploding fireworks, pounding surf, buzzing bees, barking dogs, honking geese, and tolling bells create their own aural metaphors that echo the poet's verse and clearly reflect the seasons. Updike's reading, with a definite pause at the end of each line, gives listeners a sense of how he wants his poem to sound"