On a chilly day, three children and a dog romp through a city park, calling for snow in a loud, rhythmic chant with this occasional refrain: “Snow! Snow! We want snow! / Up to our ankles. Up to our shins / Up to our knees / Up to our chins!” The kids long for sledding, snow forts, and hot cocoa. “But there’s not a flake / Not a flake / Not a flip-flop flake”—until snow begins to fall. After playing in the snow for a while, the cold, wet children take up a new chant: “Spring! Spring! We want spring!” Swenson captures wintry delights in a rousing, buoyant text. While the lines of the verses have four beats, the short lines in the refrain have two, which varies the cadence for brief intervals before returning to the basic rhythm. Boon’s engaging illustrations feature rounded forms, a pleasing palette, and a diverse trio of energetic children at play. An excellent seasonal choice as fall turns to winter, this picture book is good fun for reading aloud.

A trio of children describe the delights of winter…all they need is snow. A brown-skinned child with close-cropped black hair joins two tights-clad children in long coats, one with olive skin and black braids, the other with pink skin and reddish hair, on a fallen log in a park outside their apartment building. The glum chums are bemoaning the lack of snow: “Snow! Snow! We want snow! / Up to our ankles / Up to our shins / Up to our knees / Up to our chins!” The trio then go on to enumerate all the fun of wintertime play, both outdoors (sledding, snowmen, ice skating, snowballs) and in- (cocoa, a cozy fire, comforters on a bed, stories). The pictures on these pages show the three enjoying time together, with the added magic of some friendly wildlife and fanciful background details that include a castle and an igloo. Back on the log, faces even longer and unneeded winter gear strewn about, the three are startled by sudden flakes. They have snow up to their ankles, shins, knees, and chin (their dachshund’s, at least)! But now: “Snow in our hats / Snow in our hair / Snow in our socks and underwear!” And so the chant for spring begins, the rear copyright page hinting at a possible sequel. Though the meter isn’t consistent, the repeated chorus is catchy, and everyone reading this will recognize kids’ fickle attitudes toward the weather and seasons.