Now It Is Winter

PreS-A fretful young mouse learns to live in the moment in this lovely picture book. Through lyrical language, Spinelli presents the youngster's concerns ("Will spring ever come?/Will I hear the sleepy sound/of soft rain/pattering on the roof?") and his mother's reassurances ("Yes, there will be spring and rain./But now it is winter./Now sleet twinkles down/sprinkling the roof"). While his brothers and sisters frolic through the snow in the gorgeous acrylic and cut-paper illustrations, the little creature trails after his mother, asking when he will next experience his favorite springtime activities, foods, and animals. She opens his eyes to the joys of the present, and the last illustration shows him hanging up a drawing of the snowman he has made with her next to his picture of a springtime sun. Textured brush strokes capture the crisp beauty of winter and the warm coziness of the animals' home. The gentle, intimate tone makes this book a natural bedtime story or a quietly compelling read-aloud for any time.-Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Maryland School for the Deaf, Columbia Copyright 2004 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.