★ "An irresistible call to romp, stamp, dance, and listen to the sounds of winter."Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
★ "A lovely addition to winter storytimes and picture book collections." School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
★ "An exuberant, child-centered picture book romp through the joyful sounds—and silence—of a bright snowy day." Shelf Awareness, STARRED REVIEW
★ "Hata's exuberant art captures the thrill of playing in fresh snow alongside Ohnari's onomatopoeic text" The Bulletin, STARRED REVIEW
A quiet snowfall, a listening heart—this tender, sensory journey invites young readers to hear the world in a new way.
From the beloved creators of Downpour comes The Voice of the Snow!, a gentle and poetic exploration of a snowy morning through the eyes—and ears—of a young child.
With lyrical text by Yuko Ohnari and luminous illustrations by Koshiro Hata, this picture book captures the hushed magic of freshly fallen snow and the joy of noticing small things: the squeak of a boot, the hush of snowflakes, and the quiet reply of nature itself. As the boy listens, the snow listens back.
In this moment of mutual attention, children are reminded of the beauty in stillness, the playfulness in sound, and the quiet conversation we can have with the world around us.
Perfect for seasonal storytimes, quiet moments, and encouraging mindfulness, The Voice of the Snow! is a timeless celebration of wonder, perception, and connection.
Praise
? “An overnight snowfall promises rowdy wonders in the morning. . . Ohnari’s gently exuberant text, translated from Japanese, immerses readers in the child’s sensorial wonderland using onomatopoeia and poetic turns of phrase . . . Hata’s illustrations are delightfully vibrant; the child’s bright-red jacket and yellow hat pop against the blue-white snow. . . Each page exudes joy and invites youngsters to go out and discover the voices of snow for themselves. An irresistible call to romp, stamp, dance, and listen to the sounds of winter.” STARRED REVIEW
—Kirkus Reviews
? “A young child wakes up to a world covered in fresh snow and heads outside to explore in Ohnari’s dynamic picture book. This gentle story celebrates the quiet beauty of a snowy morning, encouraging readers to notice the sounds of snow crunching under their feet, the hush of the winter air, and even their own breathing . . . Hata’s warm, gentle illustrations fill the pages and perfectly capture the peaceful yet thrilling feeling of a fresh snowfall, and Balistrieri’s translation from the original Japanese flows naturally. Onomatopoeia terms are written in larger blue text, offering great opportunities for participation during read-alouds. This quiet, comforting picture book reminds readers to slow down, use their senses, and enjoy the small wonders of nature. VERDICT A lovely addition to winter storytimes and picture book collections.” STARRED REVIEW
—School Library Journal
Shelf Awareness? “An exuberant, impeccably child-centered story by Yuko Ohnari and Koshiro Hata, the creative duo behind Downpour . . . The picture book features a child who revels in the wonder of a snowy day by focusing on the joyful sounds--and silence--of the snow. The creativity of this storytelling technique gives the picture book's observations a tactility and sense of immediacy. Much of the child's cavorting through the wintry backyard landscape is told through Ohnari's avalanche of onomatopoetic interpretations. The writing is spare and confident, and Balistrieri's translation feels as poetic as it does enthusiastic. Hata's illustrations pull equal weight, depicting the youngster's tramp from their front yard into a neighboring empty lot and back home, where an adult waits. The white space serves purpose and keeps eyes on the protagonist and their play, while soft blue skies and sparse background create a feeling of solidity. These wonder-filled pages should inspire all varieties of wintertime listening. Shelf Talker: The Voice of the Snow is an exuberant, child-centered picture book romp through the joyful sounds--and silence--of a bright snowy day.” STARRED REVIEW
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? "[. . . ] Hata’s exuberant art captures the thrill of playing in fresh snow alongside Ohnari’s onomatopoeic text, translated from the original Japanese by Balistrieri. The opening illustration—of the child peering out their window from a darkened bedroom muted with sketchy pencil lines—invites young viewers into the story and out into the soft white snow. Standing out against the blue and white scene in a bright red coat, the child cavorts with the laughing snowflakes across immersive spreads, some focusing tightly on the child and others zooming out to show their line of footsteps through the neighborhood. The simple, first-person narration skillfully evokes both the sounds and the hush of a fresh snowfall. The young protagonist cries, “Wake up everybody! It’s morning!” but “my voice gets sucked into the snow, and then it is quiet.” The effect is contemplative; eyes closed in the foreground, the child hears the snow falling, now shown as oversized crystalline flakes. The shifts between the hush of a snowfall and the squeak, pfft, huff-puff sounds of winter play invite a participatory winter readaloud that pairs naturally with The Snowy Day (eagle-eyed viewers will spot the visual nods to Keats’s classic), or any other celebration of winter wonderlands." R* STARRED REVIEW
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Small pops of color, such as the child's red jacket, a blue house, or a yellow cat, keep the wintry white illustrations lively, and the changes in visual perspectives from page to page add interest to the compositions while highlighting the magical transformation a snowfall can bring.”
—The Horn Book Magazine
