Review by Booklist Review
A mouse stands on hind legs, reaching for a snowflake. The surrounding ground is brown, and only three flakes are showing, so it's humorous when the text asks, "How high will it go?" The next day, however, there is more snow. The ground is now white, and this time it is a rabbit happily welcoming the snowflakes. As the days pass and the snow coverage grows, many animals disappear from view, hunkering down through the storm. When the snow melts, moose, bear, deer, wolf, fox, rabbit, and mouse reappear, and this time there are touches of green in the illustrations. Spring is on the way. We think we've completed the whole progression and will now be moving on to a new season, but--is that another snowflake falling? The watercolor, pastel, and digital illustrations effectively convey all the stages of the snowfall, with blowing flakes, partial then total coverage, and slow melting, with color employed to delineate the different stages. Fast-moving text and vibrant natural images make this a good addition to seasonal storytimes.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this seasonal day-by-day telling, sprightly rhymes chronicle two wintry weeks in which a snowstorm blankets a forest and then recedes. On Monday, Mouse spots the first flakes ("silent swirling"), and Rabbit paws at "flakes floating" on Tuesday. As each daybreak brings more snow, another animal (Fox, Wolf, Deer, Bear, and Moose) encounters the bluster, while an accompanying refrain wonders: "How high will it go?" By Sunday, only a single antler peeks from a mound of white, and then the story reels backward as each animal in turn emerges from the retreating accumulation ("On Monday, the sun starts to show./ Mountains melting./ Look, it's Moose./ Hello!") and toward, perhaps, springlike temperatures. Jacoby combines watercolors, pastels, and digital techniques for a soft and dreamy effect; alongside Schroeder's effervescent prose, the book presents an atmospheric account of the vagaries of the natural world. Ages 3--7. (Oct.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3--The flakes start to fall on a Monday, ushering in a week of accumulating snow. On subsequent days, different forest animals appear, along with the repeated refrain of "how high will it go?" Readers see a mouse, rabbit, fox, wolf, two leaping deer, and a bear, by Saturday, fall into a soft, deep pile. The lyrical language includes rhyme and alliteration, expressing both drama and the peace of a white-out. The fuzziness of the pictures in the first portion of the book beautifully matches the reduced visibility during a snowstorm. On Sunday the storm abates, and when the sun comes out on Monday, readers see a moose, followed by the earlier animals, all greeting the signs of spring. Illustrations perfectly capture the first captivating hints of green. Of course, spring is often a bit of a tease, and in true circle story fashion, winter isn't quite over, and nature's drama will begin again. VERDICT A quiet story that paints a lovely scene and sets a mood with evocative illustrations and language.--Gloria Koster
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A series of animals, from smallest to largest, enjoy a week of snowfall, then welcome spring as the snow melts away. On Monday, a mouse welcomes a few flakes of snow that resemble dandelion puffs. On each subsequent day, the snow accumulates--described in a poetic two-word alliterative phrase--and an animal wonders, "How high will it go?" By the time Sunday arrives, only a moose's antler is visible through the snow ("When will it go?"). Sunshine then begins to melt the snow, with each animal reappearing in the reverse order they were initially presented, and each page has more color than the next, culminating in spring wildflowers. All the animals--mouse, rabbit, fox, wolf, deer, bear, and moose--revel in the spring weather, their body language and expressions playful and engaging. "But wait!" Another snowflake drifts down, and on the final spread, Bear stands to greet another snowfall. There is much to love here; patterned language, animals, and seasonal surprises combine for a sure hit. Even the back cover is cleverly designed, with each animal's ears (or antlers) poking out of a mountain of snow. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Bursting with appeal factors for kids, this charming book is perfect for a winter (or spring!) storytime. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
