Part of the series by this incredible team. When summer plays, she does this with an obsession. Cartwheel, shouts, romping, shouting, frolicking continue to make the day fun-filled. But mother and father both agree that Summer is getting a bit out of hand and must be warned that chores have to be finished.

Summer's usual response is 'Ill do them soon But right now, swimming calls to Summer as the waves of the ocean call for jumping and performing cannonballs. Again, Mother Earth shakes a finger and reminds her child that Chores are waiting and must be done.

"In a While. but first, let's hike." Everything this wild child does is with a tremendous amount of gusto and high spirit. As night occurs, the errant child forgot about chores that were promised to be accomplished. Now night is here and father time is very mad. Stomping his foot he strongly states that the chores must be done Right Away

And as the next day awakes with the sunshine, still the very stubborn, silly, self-absorbed child wants to continue to splash and romp! Climbing the mountain she sees an incredible sight. But, the sight shifts to a brown color covering the earth. As all around a nasty dark cover is in sight.

This spoiled, petulant, stubborn child created a lack of color because she could not reign in her stubborn selfishness. When she asks what is wrong with the earth. Her parents tell her that it really is rather simple. You played and now you must pay. Now the summer child promises to make things right and work day and night. And as summer continues to lug water for many days, she works as fast as possible.

It now dawns on her that her selfishness has consequences for not just her, but the entire earth. Watering until she is very weary, summer watches as slowly as the rivers begin to low and the earth returns to glow. The last thing child of summer does is to paint a multi-colored rainbow in the sky, she calls to autumn that so wishes she could continue to play, but the earth needs the vibrant colors.

This is another charming, beautiful book regarding the seasons on earth and the children of Mother and Father Earth as they are more than patient with their children.

Interestingly, I had no patient for the child of summer. I know my parents would never have been as laid back. The paddle would have been in use as a payment for not listening. ( )

Like most children during this time of year Summer wants to play outside, build sand castles, go camping, and swim. Like most children, she also has responsibilities that must be finished first. “Just a few more minutes,” she promises to her ever-patient parents Mother Earth and Father Time until she realizes she may have left her chores until too late and then she must work extra hard fix things.

Fun rhymes keep the story moving and stunningly beautiful artwork conveys both the movement of seasons and the lessons of responsibility in Summer’s Vacation and indeed in the entire Mother Earth’s Children series. Both children and caregivers will enjoy this book. ( )

Author/illustrator team Lynn Plourde and Greg Couch conclude their quartet of picture-books about the seasonal children of Mother Earth and Father Time in this summery tale. As Summer romps and plays, enjoying a marvelous vacation, her parents warn her to do her chores, only to find that this happy-go-lucky child is always procrastinating. But when Summer sees how her inaction has led to drought and devastation, she kicks into gear, watering the land and creating rainbows...

As mentioned in some of my reviews of the earlier books about this celestial family - Wild Child, Winter Waits and Spring's Sprung - I really appreciate the central story idea here, with the seasons being the offspring of Mother Earth (the natural world) and Father Time (the passing of the days). This works so well as a storytelling device because it is literally true, as time works on the world around us to produce the seasons. Summer's Vacation was a winsome entry in the series, and draws the year-long story presented by the four books to a close. Young children will be able to identify with Summer's eagerness to play, and they will enjoy Couch's gorgeous accompanying illustrations, which capture the beauty and joy of the season. The text here had some awkward moments - on the whole, I think the first two books were stronger in the writing department, than the second two - but it was still engaging. I was a little surprised that Summer was not a boy, as that would have made everything - Mother Earth vs. Father Time, feminine Autumn and Spring vs. masculine Winter and Summer - perfectly balanced. Leaving that aside, I would recommend this one to picture-book readers who enjoyed previous titles in the series, or who are looking for summer stories. ( )

Just not my kind of book.  I almost liked Wild Child, but this just doesn't appeal to me.  I'm giving them more stars than I personally would rate them, though, because I can definitely see the creativity & joy.  They are artistic, and almost metaphysical, spiritual.  But somehow to me they are more crunchy-granola or candles&crystals, something like that. ( )