Stojic (Hello World, above, etc.) paints this gentle anticipation and enjoyment of a snowfall in breezy, broad strokes. On each spread, an animal comments on the upcoming weather event, beginning with owl: “ ‘The snow is coming,’ she said wisely. ‘I know snow.’ ” Geese, a moose, a bear, several hares, and a fox also have snow-related things to say. The text is spare, a few short sentences per spread; the animals are painted as close-ups, each taking up most of a page. In a brilliant, subtle use of the color white, delicate brush strokes sweep through the opening pages, evoking the chilly breeze that comes before snow. Where is the snow, though? On the spread when it finally snows, the nighttime background is dark, allowing only individual flakes to be seen; turn the page, however, and morning has come, revealing expanses of snow that cover ground, evergreens, and the sides of tree trunks. The sudden visual surprise of turning from a blue-black nighttime spread to a white-dominated daytime beautifully mirrors the feeling of waking up in the morning and finding the landscape magically transformed. In this landscape, each animal gets a spread to react to the change: exuberant bunnies frolic, their newly-white winter fur matching the snow perfectly; the fox bristles because he “ ‘looks like fire . . . against this white snow’ ”; the bear drifts into hibernation; and the smiling moose delightedly sniffs the crisp air. This snowfall is both exciting and peaceful. (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: Nov. 12, 2002
ISBN: 0-375-82348-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2002
A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A tender bedtime tale set in a too-seldom-seen northern world.
A quiet book for putting young children to bed in a state of snowy wonder.
The magic of the north comes alive in a picture book featuring Inuit characters. In the sky at nighttime, snow falls fast. / … / In the sky at nighttime, a raven roosts atop a tall building. / … / In the sky at nighttime, a mother’s delicate song to her child arises like a gentle breeze.” With the repetition of the simple, titular refrain, the author envisions what happens in a small town at night: Young children see their breath in the cold; a hunter returns on his snowmobile; the stars dazzle in the night sky. A young mother rocks her baby to sleep with a song and puts the tot down with a trio of stuffed animals: hare, polar bear, seal. The picture book evokes a feeling of peace as the street lamps, northern lights, and moon illuminate the snow. The illustrations are noteworthy for the way they meld the old world with what it looks like to be a modern Indigenous person: A sled dog and fur-lined parkas combine easily with the frame houses, a pickup truck, power lines, and mobile-hung crib. By introducing Indigenous characters in an unremarkably familiar setting, the book reaches children who don’t always see themselves in an everyday context.
A tender bedtime tale set in a too-seldom-seen northern world. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-77227-238-3
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Inhabit Media
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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