Subtitled A Book of Changing Seasons, this book is just as beautiful and peaceful as her Book of Sleep. Il Sung Na has a distinctive style; her creations are so lovely that you want to climb right into the book. Just as the owl was our guide at night time, a curious white rabbit leads us page to page here.
How do animals react when the air turns cold and winter is on the way? Answers will vary depending on the type of animal. Geese fly south seeking warmer weather, while bears cozy up in dark caves, and sheep grow nice, thick woolly coats. Some animals move very fast, like the squirrels bustling about gathering extra food. Crocodiles slow way down, sinking their thick bodies deep into the mud to make it through winter.
The animals may employ varied methods of surviving the harsh winter, but they do have one thing in common: when the snow is gone and buds are reappearing on the trees, everyone knows it is spring! More importantly, all the animals created by Il Sung Na share the same lovely illustrative style. The turtles' shells are awash with color, looking like clusters of beautiful painted bowls overturned in the water. Black faces and spindly striped sheep legs poke out from coats of thick white curlicues splatted with pastel patches. 
I think it's fun that the white rabbit appears on each page, but you have to hunt for him a bit. On the first page, he is large as life, his bright white winter fur luminous against the turquoise background. He watches the geese sweep overhead from a distance, nearly blending into the gray and white patterned rocks he rests on. He just barely peeks his head into the bear cave - it is his shadow that is more noticeable here.
It doesn't matter what season, the animals are always stunning. This is an incredibly lovely book - bright, beautiful and warm.
Review copy provided by Random House.
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