A COLD SNAP!

The opening lines set the stage for these perceptive, descriptive poems about winter. The reader is cautioned to “put on a sweater to read this book” and “turn up the thermostat.” Baird (Storm Coming, not reviewed) is particularly adept at effectively engaging all the senses. Listen to the neighbors’ clichés and the roar of the wind as a storm approaches. See the trees that “undress in winter” and the frost that forms “a glittering gown all over town.” Winter breath “hangs frozen in the air—a balloon without strings.” Feel the “stinging winds” and the “sleet pushing hard at my back,” and feet that are “colder then Popsicles.” Smell and taste the stew and the hot chocolate and cinnamon bread. Every nuance of the season is charmingly presented. There is humor here too, as the child waits for the radio to announce that her school is closed, as she expresses her appreciation of long underwear, and in the playful discussion of chili. O’Brien’s illustrations are just right, some evoking the chill, some evoking the warmth, finding the perfect element of each poem. Curl up on a cold winter day and enjoy. (Poetry. 6-10)