Narrated by a young girl named Naomi, this poetic picture-book offers a glimpse of the traditions of an Old Order Mennonite community in Ontario, focusing on a different custom or activity for each month of the year. From a quilting session in January to a visit to the sugar bush in March, a baseball game in July to the Christmas celebrations in December, life if very full for Naomi, who is surrounded by her loving family, and ever-aware of the presence of the divine in her life.

A lovely book, with a quiet, gentle narrative - there is no real drama, just the day-to-day life of a young girl in a close-knit community - and beautiful artwork from painter Peter Etril Snyder, Winterberries and Apple Blossoms is a loving tribute to a way of life that is both simple and rich. I particularly appreciated the fact that Naomi is sometimes a little mischievous - the moment when she sneaks off with her sisters Esther, even though she knows her mother is looking for her, or the time she takes a ride on one of the boys' bicycles - and that this is treated as a normal part of childhood, rather than some sort of problem. For young readers unfamiliar with the Mennonites, or who see them as some sort of unworldly saints (or even freakish, somehow, because of their different customs), this will emphasize their common humanity. I also appreciated Snyder's impressionistic paintings, with their brilliant use of light and color. The inclusion of twelve recipes at the rear of the book, rated for difficulty of preparation, is also a nice touch. All in all, a charming little book, although I do agree with my friend Gundula, who recommended it to me, in finding the print a little small. Recommended to young readers - it is text-heavy for a picture-book, so I'd say fourth grade and up - interested in the Mennonites, or in stories set on farms. ( )

Nan Forler's lovely and evocative paean to Old Order Mennonite culture and traditions (in the form of a poetic month-by-month calendar description of events such as quilting bees, sugaring, planting, harvesting etc.) is wonderfully and stunningly mirrored by renowned Waterloo, Ontario artist Peter Etril Snyder's paintings (I cannot call them illustrations, they are described as paintings on the book cover, and paintings they are, folksy, descriptive and quite simply as poetic, as emotionally stirring as the narrative they are describing). The recipes for Mennonite baked goods at the back are an added bonus and look quite appetising (although I have to warn those who are vegan that all of the recipes do contain dairy and eggs, but they could likely be easily veganised). Recommended for children interested in Mennonite culture and traditions (slightly older children, as there is quite a lot of text for each month and while the poetry is beautiful and alive with descriptiveness, it also feels somewhat complex and dense at times), [b:Winterberries and Apple Blossoms: Reflections and Flavors of a Mennonite Year|10422505|Winterberries and Apple Blossoms Reflections and Flavors of a Mennonite Year|Nan Forler|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1349466086s/10422505.jpg|15326799] is also a book, I believe that many adults would enjoy (it would make a perfect coffee-table book).

I wish I could have given [b:Winterberries and Apple Blossoms: Reflections and Flavors of a Mennonite Year|10422505|Winterberries and Apple Blossoms Reflections and Flavors of a Mennonite Year|Nan Forler|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1349466086s/10422505.jpg|15326799] five stars, but I did and do have one minor, but rather annoying issue with this book, namely that the size of the font, of the printed text is quite miniscule, to the point that I actually had trouble reading the text without my glasses (and even when wearing glasses, I found the font size to be rather small). And since picture books are often meant to be read aloud or to be read by children (including some who might only recently have learned to read), a very small font could easily cause words to be missed, to be misread, to simply be difficult to read (limiting or at least potentially limiting reading pleasure). Still, very highly recommended!! ( )