Publisher's Weekly Review
Two furry friends try to overcome a third's reluctance to play outside in this twee tale of a snow day. After "moving a little bit slow," snow-averse rabbit Willow tries out sledding, skating, skiing, and making "snow bears and snow hares" with the encouragement of Berry the bear and Ginger the fox before revealing a latent passion for ice hockey. The rhyming text is studded with snow puns--"SNOW WAY!"--and the illustrations show cozy indoor periods alongside the trio's outdoor adventures. Gibson's photographs of her soft-sculpture creations, posed in a charmingly appointed miniature pastel-hued world of cotton-ball snow bears, bitsy felt accessories, and handmade furniture, will captivate those with a yen for the teeny tiny. Ages 4--8. (Oct.)
Kirkus Review
Three animal friends enjoy winter activities such as sledding, skating, and ice hockey as well as baking cookies and creating garlands of popcorn and apple slices for birds.The anthropomorphic characters are a white bear named Berry, a beige squirrel named Ginger, and a timid, pale blue bunny named Willow. The bear and squirrel are excited to play outdoors in the snow, but Willow prefers staying indoors with cocoa and marshmallows. Berry and Ginger encourage Willow, and she finds she enjoys ice hockey when she scores a goal. Intriguing photographic illustrations use small fabric sculptures for the animals with tiny props and relevant costumes such as felt skates and knitted sweaters and hats. The animals are photographed in miniature scenes of snowy outdoor settings and inside the cozy, pink house the friends share. A loosely rhyming text uses different rhyme schemes on each page, with evocative rhyming word pairs describing the activities of the animals. The language includes rich vocabulary such as "squooshed," "whoosh," "whirling," and "shimmering," and a running gag uses puns with the word "snow" substituted for "so" as in the title.This tale of friends enjoying wintry activities at home and out in the snowy world is downright charming. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
