Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter

June 15, 2017
A brother and sister walk through woods and town, acknowledging autumn and welcoming winter in this picture book. Expanding on Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn (2016), author/illustrator Pak continues the theme, this time with a black-haired, brown-skinned boy and girl who ramble through woods, town, and countryside as they converse with the trees, birds, horses, sheep, deer, snow, and wind, saying goodbye to fall and hello to winter. The digitally enhanced watercolor-and-pencil illustrations are as quiet and graceful as the slow passage of the seasons. Diversity, both ethnically and culturally (a Kwanzaa kinara, a Jewish menorah, and a star-topped Christmas tree are all included in the illustrative details, as are various colors of people), is well-represented. But many of the nature facts in the text are inaccurate. Cardinals don't "fly far, far south," daisies of the type illustrated do not bloom in the late autumn, and autumn evenings (as opposed to nights) are shorter, not longer. Such lapses make the whole story suffer. Factual errors aside, the story flows well--its cadence is serene and accepting, with a pleasant, otherworldly quality that is reinforced by the soft double-spread illustrations. Lovely to look at; frustratingly inaccurate. (Picture book. 3-6)

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September 1, 2017

PreS-Gr 2-Two children experience the transition from autumn to winter in this luminous picture book. In a brown field edged with trees, a dark-haired duo, perhaps brother and sister, play in a pile of red, yellow, and orange leaves. As they travel across the landscape, the text alternates between simple greetings-"Hello, leaves...Hello, clouds."-and responses. "Hello! We're ready to fly far, far south," the robins and cardinals reply. This dialogue is whimsical and informational, succinctly describing the habits of animals and plants preparing for winter, but also greeting the "silent night" who "quiet(s) the juniper and maple trees." The children journey from the forest's edge, past a farm, and into town as the hazy afternoon turns to blue twilight. While they sleep, their world is transformed into a winter snowscape with only the occasional red leaf appearing as a visual link to autumn. Upon waking, they reverse their journey, greeting snowflakes, frost, and icicles, and finally building a snowman in the same field where they began. Pak's digitally enhanced watercolor-and-pencil illustrations contrast the rounded softness, reds, and browns of the countryside with the sharp corners, grays, and blues of a vibrant, diverse urban community preparing for the winter holidays. Each detailed spread is arranged horizontally, making it easy for young audiences to follow the children's movement from left to right across the countryside. VERDICT Lyrical and informative, this lovely introduction to the seasons is perfect for sharing with young audiences in groups or one-on-one.-Chelsea Couillard-Smith, Hennepin County Library, MN

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