3.7 Stars

Squirrel siblings Mick, Mack, and Molly are curious about the melting snow. Their father explains that spring turns snow into water. The trio is curious and ends up on a small adventure as they explore what happens to the melting snow. 

The book was written in Japanese and published with the same illustrations in 1985. The text has been translated into English, and it shows in the forced rhyming that affects the flow. I don’t know if the book tries to follow the rhyme scheme of the original (in which case, it was a bad idea). Free verse with rhymes where they fit would have been easier to read. 

However, the illustrations make up for this. The full-page watercolor art is warm without being overly so. It seems to depict the transition period more than the actual spring. The greens are muted, and the branches are almost bare, with teeny leaves sprouting all over. 

Most pages have a green hue that makes it seem like we are viewing the book through a green-tinted lens. The squirrels are the cutest in their little dresses, pointy ears, and bushy tails. The papa squirrel has eyeglasses too! 

To summarize, Good-bye, Winter! Hello, Spring! is a cute and cozy read about changing seasons and the adventures of three squirrel siblings.  

I received an ARC from NetGalley and NorthSouth Books and am voluntarily leaving a review. 

#GoodbyeWinterHelloSpring #NetGalley