In this playful, gorgeous, beautiful book, a red fox realizes winter is coming (because a snowflake lands on his nose), and wonders what he should do. Everyone in the forest is eager to tell him! Bats tell him to fly into a cave, hang by his toes, and go to sleep. Caterpillars tell him to make a cocoon and wait till spring! A turtle suggests diving down to the bottom of a pond to rest in the mud. To each of these suggestions, the fox replies, “that won’t do for me.” It takes the fox a while to figure out just what he should do in the winter—but it’s worth the wait. This is an utterly charming, animal-centric story about the winter forest. It has a wonderful repeating pattern that will please kids and adults alike, a sweet ending, and so many beautifully rendered winter scenes. The wonderful facial expressions of the inquisitive fox are especially delightful.

This is a simple, beautifully told story about a little girl and her big sister, Kyla as they go about their lives one winter day. Each thing that Kyla does, the little girl also does. Together, they get up, watch the birds, eat breakfast, get dressed, walk through the snow to the store, and come home. And yet, despite this simplicity, their lives feel rich and textured. Ransome’s beautiful paintings offer windows into the lives of Kyla and her sister. The story captures this relationship so sweetly, without any fuss. The love between the sisters is glowing and strong, even though it’s never stated outright.