WHEN WILL IT BE SPRING?

by Catherine Walters ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1, 1998

Winter approaches. It is time for Alfie the bear cub to start hibernating. ""'When will it be spring?' asked Alfie. 'And how will I know when it's here?'"" Mother Bear tells him to look for butterflies; when Alfie awakens and peeks out of the cave, he sees white butterflies everywhere. No, groans his mother, those are snowflakes. She tells him to wait for the birds; he sees icicles hanging from bright leaves and mistakes them for swallows. Alfie mistakes a hunters' fire for the warmth of the sun, and then, when spring finally arrives, goes to sleep among the wildflowers. That's the least original twist; otherwise, this perfectly captures the anxiety of the very young over the waiting process (""Is it morning yet?"" and ""Are we there yet?""). Waiter's illustrations are scene-stealers, with their terrific evocations of wild landscapes and the creatures Alfie encounters--bat, mink, wolf, lynx--during his midwinter investigations.

Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1998

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Dutton

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 1997

Categories: CHILDREN'S