WHEN WINTER COMES

In his third photographic evocation of a season as enjoyed by children in different settings, Maass strikes a quieter tone than he did in When Summer Comes (p. 787), emphasizing winter's somber blues and grays; here, snow scenes are muted under clouded skies, and the occasional bright hat, or a cozy interior with Chanukah candles or a soft red Navaho rug beneath an unlit Christmas tree, counterpoint the duller tones rather subtly. Best is a gently dramatic title-page shot of the sun setting behind a leafless grove of trees, their parallel shadows on a light fall of snow. Maass's compositions continue to be particularly fine, and his observations are often apt (``When winter comes, deep snow cushions a football tackle...''; ``Woodpiles shrink''). It will be interesting to see what he makes of spring. (Nonfiction/Picture book. 4-9)