Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Sweeney and Christy follow their spring-themed 2015 picture book, When the Wind Blows, with an ode to winter that hums with a zingy, excited energy. Once again, Sweeney's punchy rhymes provide the narrative, following two children through a day outdoors with their grandparents. There's a visit to the nearby forest ("Woods hush./ Fields glisten./ Wren sings./ We listen"), walkways to shovel ("Flakes zag./ Flakes zig./ Grandpa whistles./ We dig"), and sledding to be done ("Saucers spin./ Sleds slide./ Hats fly./ We ride!"). Icy pale blues and purples contrast with brightly colored winter wear and the children's warm brown skin; everyone is smiling, even citizens helping to push a stuck car. A joyful winter readaloud with an infectious enthusiasm for everything that the season brings. Ages 3-5. Author's agent: Carrie Hannigan, Hannigan Salky Getzler. Illustrator's agent: Justin Rucker, Shannon Associates. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Three generations of a fun-loving family take advantage of an unexpected snow day to frolic from country to city. When Grandma spends the night at the home of two young siblings, they awake to find that school is canceled due to a snowstorm. While the parents stay home to work the farm, Grandma, a young girl, and her little brother ski to town on a winsome belled sled-chair. They make their way to Grandma and Grandpa's house and encounter natural wonders, city wonders, and friends along the way. Sweeney gives a sense of motion with simple rhyming quatrains punctuated by the recurring phrase, "When the snow falls .. Tracks curve./Skis glide./Fox curls./Rabbits hide." The transition from country to city occurs when they briefly stop on a bridge to wave at the plows below, "Trains toot./Cars slow./Plows push./Mountains grow." Softly colorful, the double-page images have the muted quality associated with a snowy day. Christie's digitally painted pencil sketches and mixed-media illustrations bounce with playful motion-snow falling, scarves flying, rabbits hopping through the forest, city folk shoveling. The family members have joyful faces and burst with enthusiasm. Their exuberant dog follows them throughout, even joining the children in making snow angels. The grandparents join in the fun, too. -VERDICT Country and city kids alike will relate to this joyful romp celebrating family, snow, community, and the wonders of nature.-Lisa Taylor, Florida State College, Jacksonville © Copyright 2017. 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
After Grandma sleeps over, a (mixed-race) family wakes on their farm to an unexpected snow day. Delightful eight-word, four-line stanzas evoke wintry images, sensations, and activities as Grandma takes the two siblings sledding and they get hot chocolate with Grandpa in town ("Cocoa warms. / Mittens puddle. / Day dawdles. / We cuddle"). Digitized mixed-media illustrations ably depict the children's exuberant play. (c) Copyright 2018. 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.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A snowy afternoon prompts a sled ride back to town through the countryside for a grandmother visiting her family. On the morning after Grandma's sleepover, the blizzard results in a snow day, allowing the two young grandchildren to accompany Grandma to her town house via a homemade chair sled. Grandma is quite the strong, energetic elder as they make their way through the snowy woods and onto the busy, buried streets of her neighborhood. Two-word sentences in abcb rhyme patterns, one stanza per page, tell this seasonal story with a cadence that captures both the captivating beauty of a glistening wood and the snowy dunes of a blanketed city street. "When the snow falls. // Woods hush. / Fields glisten. / Wren sings. / We listen"; "When the snow falls / Trains toot. / Cars slow. / Plows push. / Mountains grow." After everyone helps Grandpa, waiting back at home, to shovel and dig out, it's time for sledding, snow angels, and snowmen in the park, followed by warm soup, cocoa, and cuddles. Digitally colored and assembled pencil drawings offer wintry rural and urban scenes in icy blues and whites. This mixed-race happy family's enjoyment of all the fun and exertion a snowstorm bring spills from each double-page spread. Grandpa is the only white family member; everyone else has skin of varying shades of warm brown and tightly curled hair. A heartwarming adventure rolls along in a delightful rhythmic verse. (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
