Over the course of a summer day in a city park, time is measured by the hour as dramas and pleasures small and large unfold. "Just before six o'clock, turtles settle on rocks. They warm their turtle shells in the light. Good morning park!" Dogs and their humans show up between six and seven, when the first babies appear. By ten, the playground is packed with children and caregivers. At eleven, park volunteers water the flowerbeds. At noon, "it's time for lunch. Maybe a nap." And so it goes, hour by hour, on through the afternoon and into the evening. A few children (and dogs) show up several times throughout the day, but the park itself, with its ever-changing cast of characters and myriad, constantly varied activities, is the focus, as is the steady advance of an unseen but ever-present clock toward day's end, marked by darkness. "Good night, park." Emily Jenkins's engagingly detailed and perfectly paced narrative is set against Stepahanie Graegin's equally wonderful illustrations. There's so much to look at and discover across the pages of the story, and the hours of the day. (Ages 3-6)

   From the first orange glow on the water in the pond, to the last humans and animals running home from an evening rain shower, here is a day-in-the-life of a city park, and the playground within it. A rhythmic text and sweet, accessible images will immerse parents, toddlers, and young children in the summer season and the community within a park. Seasoned picture book readers may notice Emily Jenkins's classic inspirations for this book: Alvin Tresselt's Caldecott Medal-winning White Snow, Bright Snow, illustrated by Roger Duvoisin, and Charlotte Zolotow's The Park Book, illustrated by H. A. Rey.