Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Having previously adapted What a Wonderful World into a picture book, Hopgood turns to Bernard and Smith's holiday classic, featuring the lyrics from Peggy Lee's version of the song. Using a variety of media including pencil, crayon, and pastel, Hopgood transports readers to a snowy forest where a family outfitted in jackets, hats, mittens, and scarves embark on a hike, accompanied by deer, foxes, birds, and rabbits. Music notes fill the air-and, in one case, the bare branches of a tree, and the scenes strike a balance between reflecting the accompanying lyrics and simply showing a family enjoying itself. The lyrics occasionally diverge from versions of the song that are featured more heavily in holiday rotation ("In the meadow, we can build a snowman./ And pretend that he's a Santa clown"), but Hopgood's vivid illustrations should keep readers turning pages and singing along. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-This festive picture book is illustrator Hopgood's second offering incorporating the lyrics of a beloved song (What a Wonderful World, 2014). Based on the holiday classic "as sung by Peggy Lee," this evocative trip through a winter wonderland is beautifully paced and illustrated with great cheer. Large, colorful spreads have a childlike charm and feature a family of five enjoying a walk through a snowy forest, looking at wildlife, building a snowman, and throwing snowballs while a bearded man in a sleigh (is it Santa?) travels by in the background. Musical notes dance across the page, reminding us that this is not just a text but also a tune that begs to be sung. It is worth noting that Lee's upbeat, jazzy interpretation of this holiday standard is a bit more family-friendly than other versions commonly heard during the season, but it still contains the awkward verse, "When it snows,/ain't it thrilling?/Though your nose/gets a chilling./We'll frolic and play/the Eskimo way...." VERDICT A pleasing blend of visual charm and winter cheer that will delight children and grown-ups alike.-Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library © Copyright 2016. 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 Horn Book Review
Based on the song by Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith. The lyrics to Peggy Lee's version ("Santa clown" instead of "Parson Brown") of the seasonal classic accompany a family as they walk through snowy woods amid woodland creatures. Unlike with Hopgood's previous lyrics-as-narrative effort, What a Wonderful World, there's slightly too much repetition here for the words to succeed without music, but the enchanting collage and digitally colored mixed-media art achieves maximum festiveness. (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
