An African-American girl describes all the fun she has year round (but especially in summer) playing on the front steps of her house in a busy urban neighborhood with her friends Essie and Nicholas. Two elements work particularly well to bring the book to life: the realistic voice of the child narrator and the bright cut-paper collages used to illustrate the story. The collages give both texture and dimension to the illustrations, making every scene look like a real front stoop. (Ages 3-6)