Shirley Hughes has illustrated more than 200 children's books and is one of the world's most dedicated writers for children. In Out and About, Katie and her baby brother Olly are "ready to open the back door and set out down the garden path to see what each day has to offer."

The 18 poems -- sometimes they rhyme and other times they don't -- revolve around the four seasons. Our first encounter with Katie is seeing her walking with her new shiny boots down a path. She's ready for adventures as she "out and about."

She is a connoisseur of wonders. In the spring, she likes playing with mud, watching huge clouds pass overhead, and streets bedecked with blossoms. In the summer, she enjoys backyards filled with splashes, rainbows, and sand in the sandwiches at the beach.

The season of autumn brings more things to be grateful for such as ripe pumpkins, the wild and wayward winds, and the mist in the morning. Winter has its signature with cold, fires, being sick in bed, and Christmas.