Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Lynch illustrates Robert Frost's classic poem with moody, snow-filled watercolor and gouache landscapes. As the book opens, a lone, white-presenting human figure astride a gray horse stops mid-path to look upon the edge of woods filled with coniferous and deciduous trees ("Whose woods these are I think I know./ His house is in the village though"). The lines generally continue two per spread, but pause with a close-up of the subject, pictured with blond tendrils escaping beneath a broad-brimmed hat while crystalline flakes cascade. A tender moment with the horse, whose breath is visible in the apparent cold, brings coziness to otherwise frigid, largely solitary scenes. Later, as the verse slows, imagery shows the skirt- and boot-clad rider relishing the snowy surrounds. Rendered in a palette of blues and greens, Lynch's illustrations artfully match the quiet, building depth of Frost's work. Ages 4-8. (Nov.)

Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 1-4--Frost's iconic poem is brought to life through luminous illustrations. Students sometimes struggle with poetic language, but Lynch has done a marvelous job slowing the pace of the poem down by spreading its text out in small pieces and augmenting the rich language with illustrations, which will make it easier to absorb the sensory details so quietly evoked by the words. For those who do not have firsthand experience of a snowy evening on horseback, large spreads transport readers to scenes of snow and moonlight. By using dramatic lighting, close-ups of both rider and her anxious horse, along with highly effective page turns, the drama of a wintry evening and the quiet beauty of the woods is masterfully depicted. VERDICT Featuring a brave child taking the journey through the woods, this is a gorgeous rendering that will bring the poem to life for a new generation and even encourage young poets to stop and notice their world with a lyrical, illustrative lens.--John Scott

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Lynch illustrates Robert Frost's classic poem with moody, snow-filled watercolor and gouache landscapes. . . . Rendered in a palette of blues and greens, Lynch's illustrations artfully match the quiet, building depth of Frost's work.
—Publishers Weekly

Lynch has done a marvelous job slowing the pace of the poem down by spreading its text out in small pieces and augmenting the rich language with illustrations, which will make it easier to absorb the sensory details so quietly evoked by the words. . . . a gorgeous rendering that will bring the poem to life for a new generation and even encourage young poets to stop and notice their world with a lyrical, illustrative lens.
—School Library Journal

The value of a book like this is that it introduces young children to a poem they will almost certainly encounter again, inculcating a fondness that should later feel like warm recognition.
—The Wall Street Journal

This picture-book features stunning images by award-winning illustrator P.J. Lynch that bring the wintery words to life. Just in time for the beloved poem's centennial, the detailed illustrations will evoke the poem's timeless snowy setting on the outskirts of a small village, and might even have your kiddo reciting its iconic lines in no time.
—Romper