Pinny in Fall

In this quiet, timeless book, a sequel to Pinny in Summer, Pinny, an independent, sensible child of indeterminate age, revels in the delights of nature with a focus that only children know.

Waking up to cool air in her coastal home, Pinny does her exercises, packs a snack, a sweater, book and treasure bag and heads outside. She wades through long grass that goes “shrr, shrr,” meets friends, plays tag, then shares her food and book. Together, they help the shorthanded lighthouse keeper by lending a hand with the foghorn and beacon buttons, thus averting a tragedy. Carrying a piece of smooth blue sea-glass as a reward, Pinny goes home ready for cocoa and a book. But she can’t resist the temptation to venture out again to enjoy the falling leaves. At dusk, her beach glass “glowed in the twilight like a beacon of light.”

Each adventure has its own short chapter and is recounted in expressively rich but direct language showing Pinny happily going about her day unrestricted by the reality of adults! Every page is rich with the appreciation of small pleasures that children, given the freedom to explore, would love. Vivid descriptions provoke imagination as we read of waves crashing against the shore, fog rolling in turning everything “misty white,” or Pinny’s hot chocolate (so capably made) that one can almost taste it.

Illustrations capture the pleasure of the story, even to the use of the perfect muted colors that echo the text, “the world looked dark red, faded yellow, dusty rose and bright gold.” The delicate pastel artwork, combined with fragile lines, features elfin children against scenes that evoke the magic of fall.

Pinny in Fall is an idyllic book set in a world of beauty and fascination free from the confines of the city or parental control. Children aged 4-8 would enjoy it as a wonderful read-aloud. As well the book would be a great addition to personal or library shelves.