A very gentle, quiet book that observes the signs in nature that usher in the winter. I feel like this would be a really soothing book to read to a child, but not in a wishy-washy way. I get Mary Oliver vibes from it too, which I love! ( )

Season

Gorgeous art and poetry. ( )

Winter is coming in this gorgeous picture-book from author Tony Johnston and illustrator Jim LaMarche, and a young girl, armed with her sketchpad and her binoculars, keeps watch as the animals near her home prepare for the change of seasons. From early autumn, when the red fox emerges in the meadow before her, to late fall, when geese go flying south in honking formation, the world around her changes. The book closes with the first snowfall of winter, as the girl hikes home from her woodland treehouse...

Pairing a simple but poetic text with gorgeously luminous artwork, Winter Is Coming is a pleasure to peruse, offering a stirring picture-book tribute to the colorful beauty of autumn, and the austere, pristine wonder of winter. LaMarche is a fabulously talented illustrator, and he is at the top of his game here. The vivid reds and oranges and golds he employs, his charming but realistic animal depictions, the sense of motion throughout - all combine in paintings that invite a second and third look. Johnston's text is understated but descriptive, capturing the girl's sense of wonder at the world around her, and her feeling of kinship with the animals she observes. Looking back, I see that this is the seventh picture-book I have read from this author, and the sixth I have rated as excellent (4 stars) or above. Despite that fact, I never seem to have considered Johnston for one of my concentrated reading projects. I'm not sure why, but as she's quite prolific, and obviously very talented, that changes today, and I will be consciously seeking out more of her work. Recommended to anyone seeking beautifully-illustrated, beautifully-told stories about autumn, and the coming of winter. ( )

This is a book of poetry that describes the changes that happen in nature and the animals as winter approaches. It is told from the perspective of a little girl who is full of wonder at the world around her.