Review by Booklist Review
This lyrical celebration of the changing seasons is told from the point of view of a child who is blind. Neveah experiences the world through her senses: "my fingers and toes, my ears, my mouth and nose." In winter, the air "smells cold and whispers a secret." With a little help from her mother, Neveah actively participates in fun adventures like building a snowman and catching snowflakes on her tongue. Enjoying a springtime walk, a cool breeze ruffles the child's hair as she savors the beauty around her. Finding a hyacinth, she traces the curl of each "thin waxy petal" and breathes in "their prettiness." The sound of buzzing bees makes her "teeth tingle." Playing at the beach in summer, she delights in the grainy sensation of sand: "Mommy pours a trickle into my palm, and it spills through my fingers." In autumn, Neveah rakes leaves into a big pile and then dives in with a joyous "plop!" A teacher of visually impaired preschoolers, Milusich presents a descriptive, dynamic text that employs onomatopoetic words with great aplomb, from the muffled "thumpity-thump" of mittens clapping to the sharp "keee-oowww!" of a seagull's shriek. Raschka's signature swirling, impressionistic illustrations capture the joyful seasonal vignettes. Encouraging reflection, this is an immersive, empowering picture book about inclusion, abilities, and appreciation of "wonders all around."
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Rejoicing in the "wonders all around me," a speaker narrates the arrival of annual northern-hemisphere weather patterns as experienced via "my fingers and toes,/ my ears, my mouth and nose" in this lush calendrical chronicle, subtly penned by Milusich without reference to sight. "When a chill gust snatches my scarf/ and frost kisses my cheeks/ I know Winter's come," the youth explains, further perceiving the "Scruunnch" sound made by boots as "the snow creaks hello." Spring's hyacinths offer opportunities for tactile experiences ("I trace the curl/ of each thin waxy petal") and scent-based discovery ("I breathe in their prettiness"). The odor of "hot dogs, sunscreen, and peaches" defines a summertime trip to the beach, and autumn brings thingsfull circle via a whiff of "earth and leaves, apples and cinnamon." With his signature wavy markings, Raschka's watercolor and oil pastel artwork evokes nature's cycles as shifting color palettes connote the passage of time while capturing the loving relationship between parent and child. Protagonist skin tones echo pages' background colors. Ages 4--8. (Oct.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Toddler-Gr 2--Neveah, under the protective and loving gaze of her mother, enjoys the four seasons without the use of sight. Nothing is said about her sightlessness; the other four senses are emphasized throughout the year. She tastes snowflakes during the winter, smells spring flowers in the air, hears the buzzing of bees in the summer, and feels scratchy leaves during fall. The charming watercolor and crayon illustrations cradle Neveah, much like her mother does as the year passes, creating a comforting and soothing feeling. The child dances through the illustrations with movement felt in every picture: she waves at the ocean, delicately touches flowers, and makes a snowman that seems to bow back. Onomatopoeia is sprinkled throughout, with happy "cheerily-cheerily-cheer-up" from the robins welcoming the spring and a "scruunnch!" of boots in the snow illustrating how the girl enjoys the natural world with her hearing. VERDICT A lovely look at the seasons, and an excellent choice for story time, showing the sensory experience of a child who wholly embraces every moment.--Melisa Bailey
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
"Where I live, seasons change. I know because my fingers and toes, my ears, my mouth and nose all tell me so." Accompanied by her mother, an active, curious blind child experiences the world through her senses. In winter, Neveah hears the creak of snow under her feet, tastes snowflakes on her tongue, smells woodsmoke. In spring, she hears bees buzzing and birds chirping and smells hyacinths, touching each petal. Summer finds her at the beach, listening to the ocean waves, smelling hot dogs, sunscreen, and peaches, and feeling the cold of the water and the warmth of the sun's rays. Autumn brings the sound of geese flying overhead, the feel of jumping into a pile of leaves, and more. Commendably, the book doesn't perpetuate the tired trope that blind people have enhanced senses to compensate for lack of sight; it simply conveys and celebrates the richness of sensory experience that exists even without sight. Milusich scatters lots of onomatopoeia throughout her text, adding child appeal. Raschka's signature impressionistic art, in watercolor and oil pastels, employs a palette of cool blues for the winter scenes, pinks for spring, yellow for summer, and orange for fall. A welcome addition to the oeuvre of picture books about disability and the senses. Martha V. ParravanoNovember/December 2025 p.53 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Readers follow blind narrator Neveah through the four seasons and experience the year's cyclical beauty through the youngster's sensory world. Milusich, who works with visually impaired preschoolers, and two-time Caldecott Medalist Raschka have crafted a tale that unfolds with gentle lyricism, each season introduced through specific sensory markers: winter's "scruunnch" of boots in snow and the "soft tap of flurries" on cheeks, spring's sweet hyacinth scent and buzzing bees, summer's sandy grains between toes, and autumn's "scritch-scratch" of raked leaves. The onomatopoeia throughout is particularly effective--from the bee's "buzzz" to the squirrel's "chut-chut-chutter" and the satisfying "plop!" when Neveah dives into the leaf pile--creating an immersive auditory landscape. Milusich brings authentic understanding to Neveah's perspective. The first-person narration feels natural and joyful. Raschka's watercolor and oil pastel illustrations complement rather than dominate the text--swirling, impressionistic spreads that suggest movement, temperature, and texture through color and gesture. The art wisely avoids literal representation, instead creating emotional landscapes that mirror the sensory experience described in words. Young readers will discover that closing their eyes while listening to this story enhances rather than diminishes their understanding, making this an ideal choice for developing sensory awareness and empathy. Neveah and Mommy have skin the color of the page.(This review has been updated for factual accuracy.)A thoughtfully crafted celebration of the rich sensory world that surrounds us all.(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
