Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Tue Jan 03 00:00:00 CST 2023)

A paean to wintertime and especially its snowy weather, this picture book fails to match the achieve

ALA Booklist (Tue Jan 03 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Siblings often disagree, but how can anyone not love winter? A brother tries to convince his grumpy sister to put down her electronic device and head outside to celebrate the glories of the season. Delicate snowflakes flutter down as children sled, skate, build snowmen, and ski, and the boy wants to be a part of it. Although his sister pleads, Please, just let me be! the boy refuses and, smiling, helps her into her snow boots and parka. The girl's look of alarm grows as he takes her on an imaginary dogsled ride over Arctic ice (complete with a grinning polar bear) and to the Antarctic, where penguins humorously march up and down frosty peaks in formation. Slowly, a smile forms on her face, and she begins to enjoy the delights of a day in the park, and a double-page spread depicts her joyfully running through the snow and shouting, Winter is for SNOW! Neubecker's signature style and brightly colored illustrations are, as always, child-centered and detailed. A rhyming, rollicking salute to the coldest season.

Horn Book (Tue Jan 03 00:00:00 CST 2023)

A boy delights at seeing snow outside his window ("Winter is for SNOW!"); his sister doesn't ("Winter! I say No"). Readers may not care that the book's rhymes aren't always thrilling; they'll enjoy the story's two facets: the siblings explore their increasingly snowy environment, simply but sensitively rendered by Neubecker, and the boy ultimately convinces his sister of the element's wonder.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

A paean to wintertime and especially its snowy weather, this picture book fails to match the achieve

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

A boy works hard to persuade his younger sister that winter truly is the most wonderful time of the year in a story that suggests that Neubecker is also the type to enjoy bundling up and heading outdoors when the temperature drops. The siblings alternately narrate in color-coded verse, amplifying the story-s performative potential: -Winter is for excellent!/ Come out and play with me!- shouts the boy. -Winter is to stay inside./ Please just let me be!- is his sister-s response. Neubecker-s snow-

School Library Journal (Tue Jan 03 00:00:00 CST 2023)

PreS-Gr 2 Twosiblings hold decidedly different opinions on winter and snow in this simple, rhythmic paean to a city snowfall. Big brother wakes up gleefully to the fluffy white stuff piling up outside their apartment window: "Winter is for wonderful!/Winter is for snow!" But younger sister frowningly responds, "Winter is for cold and damp./It must be ten below!" And so goes their droll verbal point/counterpoint, reflected in fonts of different colors, as Sis reluctantly turns off her media devices and bundles up for their trudge to the local sledding hill. Along the way, Brother envisions the adventurous worlds of polar ice and snow that lie beyond their doorstep, and his sister slowly has a change of heart, ultimately tasting flakes and sledding with gusto. Back home enjoying hot chocolate and a cozy fire with Mom, she is a smiling convert to the joys of the season. The rhyming text, while slight, will hold children's attention as they pore over the appealing illustrative details, rendered in black line and bold color. Snowflake patterns, suffusing nearly every page, underscore the blanketing snowfall and create a cohesive visual motif. Equally suitable for a lapsit or group read-aloud, this title is a worthy purchase for collections needing additional winter-themed materials. Kathleen Finn, St. Francis Xavier School, Winooski, VT