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A review of Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening

by Robert Frost, illustrated by Susan Jeffers

The classic poem is translated into a truly wonderful picture book.

Reviewed by: Heather Ray
About Heather Ray

Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening I'm a poetry freak. There, I've said it. I love poetry-good poetry-and I'm eager to share this love of poetry with my eight-month-old son. (I know this seems a little early, but I want to get the jump on Playstation.) You can imagine my disappointment when I discovered that most poetry aimed at children involves rhyming words like "loopy" with "poopy." Then I found Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost, illustrated by Susan Jeffers.

Yes, that Robert Frost. But forget what you learned in high school about this poem being about death or the contemplation thereof. As interpreted by Jeffers, the poem becomes the thoughts of a man traveling home to his family through a wintry forest. On the way, he stops to make snow angels and leave food for the forest animals.

The book is simply gorgeous. The illustrations are mostly black and white, as a snowy forest should be. Jeffers adds touches of color-a blue blanket with yellow stars, a striped green scarf, a red cardinal-that draw the eye and increase interest for young children. That interest is held on every page; there's always something beautiful or funny or clever to find. From the lacy remains of summer flowers to the beauty of individual snowflakes, each carefully detailed illustration is a work of art.

It certainly doesn't hurt that our traveler looks a lot like Santa, complete with snowy beard and rosy cheeks. The drawings of him make him seem like the kind of person children want to know. He makes snow angels. He looks forward to visiting with friends and family. He puts out hay and birdseed for animals.

Those animals are a big draw for the little ones. They appear on almost every page. The traveler's horse is especially wonderful. He has the look of a patient friend: he's seen all this before, but it never ceases to amaze him. It's fun to find the bunnies hiding in a thicket, to count the birds in the trees. The look on the owl's face at it flies away from the snow-angel-making traveler is priceless.

This book would make a perfect gift for new parents with literary sensibilities. It would be a good book for parents who hope to give their children a sense of environmental responsibility. It could be used for learning numbers and counting. Simply put, this is just a great kid's book.

And it's a good poem, too.

Click here to buy this book, or read more about it at Amazon.com: Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening

Copyright © by Heather Ray, 2002

Reviewed by Heather Ray :
-- The Blue Sword - by Robin McKinley
-- The Hero and the Crown - by Robin McKinley
-- Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening - by Robert Frost, illustrated by Susan Jeffers
-- Little Women - by Louisa May Alcott
-- The Giving Tree - by Shel Silverstein
-- The Tin Forest - by Helen Ward, illustrated by Wayne Anderson
-- New Book of Herbs - by Jekka McVicar









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