Review by Booklist Review
A snowy day displays a patina of godliness in this cheerful book. Each letter of the alphabet gets a rhyming couplet. Sometimes the reference to God's creation is specific: God casts the frost sparkling white on the land. In other places it's more subtle: the silence of winter is perfect for prayer. And sometimes the rhyme is just about hot chocolate or jingle bells. All of this winter wonder is charmingly illustrated in artwork that almost glows, with subdued light coming from warm houses or bright sunshine making the snow gleam. As children romp through the pages sledding, making snow angels, and ice-skating readers will enjoy seeing the pleasures winter can bring. That the experiences are expanded by a feeling of God's touch will add to the pleasure for many. The sparkling snow on the book's cover is an irresistible enticement to look inside.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-This book completes the set. As in P Is for Pumpkin (2008), K Is for Kite (2010), and F Is for Fireflies (2011, all Zonderkidz), Wargin celebrates the blessings of the season. Beginning with "A is for Angels," the narrative proceeds through the alphabet in simple rhyming couplets, showcasing a variety of wintertime delights, such as cookies and hot chocolate, ice skating, jingle bells, and warm mittens and overcoats. Some rhymes are more successful than others. One particularly meaningful verse is, "When walking outside in the cold icy air,/the silence of winter is perfect for Prayer." Wargin develops the recurring themes of God's love and the beauty of nature throughout and concludes with, "From mittens to snowmen and angels with wings-/may your hearts know the wonders that God's winter brings." Each letter is emphasized in bold, and the text is illustrated with snowy pastel paintings featuring a loving family engaged in seasonal activities. Although it does not include a religious message, Steven Schnur's Winter: An Alphabet Acrostic (Clarion, 2002) presents a more sophisticated and engaging alphabetical tribute to winter.-Linda L. Walkins, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Brighton, MA (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Frost sparkling white on the land, / a beautiful blanket spread right from his hand." From counting blessings on the squares of a warm quilt to seeing God's love in the light spilling from house windows into the darkness beyond, many of Wargin's rhyming couplets stress God's goodness and people's responsibility to spread that goodness through acts of caring--doing chores and sharing anything from mittens to soup. While Jesus is not specifically mentioned, decorating a tree and exchanging gifts are some of the wintertime activities. Johnson's softly colored illustrations are vital to filling in details that just cannot be expressed in rhyming couplets, and they add a few activities that aren't mentioned in the text; the north wind page features skiing, for instance. A nice addition to seasonal bookshelves that will find extra use in church-school programs. (Picture book. 3-7)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
