“Twelve months together make a year. / A great big circle spinning round / Climb aboard, you’re one year bound / You’ll grow right out of your old shoes / And taller too—now that’s good news!” Author Hazel Hutchins offers a lively catalog of child-centered ways to define time, from a span as short as a second to one as long as a year. Hutchins’ verse reflects two truths about time: its circular nature as it moves forward, and the constant change that can be found within that circle of measure. Katy MacDonald Denton’s soft, pleasing illustrations affirm the warmth that is also conveyed in the engaging narrative. (Ages 4–7)

"How long is a second?"

"A second is a hiccup--the time it takes to kiss your mom, or jump a rope, or turn around."



The newest book by acclaimed picture-book creators Hazel Hutchins and Kady McDonald Denton explains units of time in imaginative terms children can understand: A second lasts as long as a hiccup; a week is seven sleeps; and a year is the time it takes to grown into new shoes!



Any parent who's been asked, "How long is a minute?" or any kid who's wondered, "What does 'an hour' mean?" will enjoy this smart, simple, and surprising book.