We're packing snow and smacking, / we're dodging and we're whacking. / Snowballs fly and we're-- / Snow Happy!" An active day playing in the snow ends with hot chocolate and a warm fire. This rhythmic paean to winter is told in lilting rhymes. Childlike ink, watercolor, and gouache illustrations feature lots of smiling kids and plenty of snowy white space. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A little girl and her brother, ecstatic from the moment they peek out the window and see fresh snow, head outdoors to play. They join the neighborhood kids, first sliding downhill on skis and sleds, then throwing snowballs. They help their father shovel the sidewalk before making a snowman, an igloo, and angels. Sharing hot cocoa indoors caps off the family's happy winter day. Written in the first person from the children's point of view, each short, bouncy stanza of the rhyming text ends in the words Snow Happy! until the last line shifts to So Happy! Nakata's airy, expressive ink, watercolor, and gouache illustrations reflect the buoyant spirit of Hubbell's verse. The snow-white backgrounds and the playful figures of excited children and dogs fill the pages with light, energy, and joy. A carefree, childlike celebration of a snowy day.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2010 Booklist

PreS-Gr 1-A rollicking verse about the joys of playing in the snow. Lively children and their parents and grandparents enjoy a day of sledding, making snow angels, building igloos, even shoveling. Hubbell's meter is bouncy, and many of her rhymes have a Seussian feel. The short text and the "Snow Happy!" refrain make the book a good choice as an interactive read-aloud. The artwork matches the upbeat mood of the text. It is always a challenge to depict snow scenes because of the prevalence of the color white, but Nakata accomplishes it admirably. She uses pale pastel washes for the backgrounds and bright colors for the children's clothing and for the little forest animals. The simple watercolor characters are full of activity. No one ever stands still or rests until the final spread where they are all tucked up in front of the fire. Large, informal fonts weave through the illustrations, adding to the energy of the story. This is a good companion book to Hubbell's Hurray for Spring! (NorthWord, 2005) but the art and poetic style give it even more zip than the earlier title.-Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Two excited children act out cheery vignettes about playing in thick, fresh snow: "We're packing snow and smacking,/ we're dodging and we're whacking./ Snowballs fly and we're-/ Snow Happy!" Ink and gouache spot details enliven Nakata's milky watercolor backgrounds: a dog chases after a squirrel, neighborhood children in brightly patterned attire ski and slide down a hill, and two red birds help to build an igloo. When the storm picks up, it's time to head inside: "Drinking nice hot cocoa,/ we watch the sparkling snow blow./ Winter makes us all-So Happy!" The kids' euphoria is contagious and will likely have readers gazing skyward for those first flakes. Ages 3-6. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.