Horn Book
(c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

After writing books celebrating the other seasons, Schnur completes the cycle with an alphabetical listing of winter events, recorded in brief blocks of text. Read vertically, each line's first letter spells out the seasonal word being described, such as flurry or holiday. The evocative poetry and colorful linoleum-cut illustrations capture both the chilly season and the warmth of experiencing it with family and friends. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

School Library Journal
(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr 1-4-A successful collaboration from the team that created Autumn (1997), Spring (1999), and Summer (2001, all Clarion). Schnur's 26 acrostic poems are arranged alphabetically. The linoleum-cut illustrations, like the poems, are simple and graceful. Evans uses thick, expressive lines and clear colors that look both vivid and soft; they match the peaceful, mindful mood of the verses. One quiet and lovely example is the verse for J (for Jewel): "Just as the/Evening lights come on,/White flakes begin falling/Earthward, glittering/Like diamonds." This is a book to savor and it will also have numerous classroom uses. Even children who don't love poetry often enjoy the puzzle quality of acrostics, and they may be inspired to create similar poems on their own. A welcome addition to all collections.-Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

PreS^-Gr. 2. The beauty of a snowy winter contrasts with the warmth of a cozy, country home in this playful picture book. On each page, a winter-related word provides the basis for an acrostic that reads like a short poem. For the letter C, the verse reads, "Crystals / Of ice as delicate as / Lace ring the / Duck pond," forming the word cold in uppercase letters. A striking, hand-colored linoleum print illustrates each small, boxed acrostic. A girl and her black dog appear in many of the pictures, as they do in the author-illustrator team's similar books, Autumn (1997), Spring (1999), and Summer (2001). As the season progresses, the child sleds and skates, then snuggles up indoors by a fire. The final illustration launches the girl into spring with a soccer ball. Younger children will enjoy studying the details and spotting the dog; older ones may be inspired to try their hand at the pleasure of acrostics. --Kathleen Odean

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Schnur and Evans round out the year, producing another visually and verbally entrancing title following Autumn (1997), Spring (1999), and Summer (2001). Evans makes hand-colored linoleum blocks whose strong and supple graphic line sets off her rich colors. The images move from early winter through the holiday season to the drippy days late in the season, when you can leave your coat open and long for a bit of green. Schnur's deceptively simple acrostics trace the alphabet and the season, as for example, Q: "Q uickly we leap from / U nder warm covers / I nto sweaters and boots, / L ate for school / T his cold, snowy morning." The young girl in the picture is wrapped in a patchwork quilt as she glances at her alarm clock, her moon-and-star pajamas peeking out. While most of the pictures-and the poems-reflect a country air (duck ponds, rabbit burrows, horse-drawn sleighs), a greenhouse and a brick city street decked in holiday lights broaden the imagery. With this latest entry Schnur and Evans complete a most satisfying quartet that can be read with pleasure the whole year round. (Picture book/poetry. 3-8)