The art is gorgeous. Maybe, I thought at first, a little too grown up, but its sophistication is balanced by all the jokes landing perfectly. Squirrel, hedgehog, and bear try to stay awake to the see the first snow, only none of them know what snow looks like. A toothbrush? A tin can? A dirty sock? When the snow falls and the animals retire, they leave a surprise for passersby. Just delightful. ( )

Winter is coming, and Squirrel wants to see snow. Hedgehog wants to see too, and so does Bear. The animals' sleepy faces and strategies for staying awake are funny, and their search for the first snowflake ("white and wet and cold and soft") is even funnier. Once the world is covered in white, they make a snowman, then hibernate together, leaving a mystified woodsman to wonder over their creation. ( )

Love this book! Deer nonchalantly mentions that, "Winter is almost here. I think it is going to snow." Since Squirrel has never seen it, he decides to forgo hibernation, and see what this "white and wet and cold and soft" substance looks like. He waits and waits and waits—but to no avail. He decides to do some exercises in order to stay awake, and along the way he wakes up Hedgehog. They wait and wait, but still no precipitation. Soon, their boredom-busting antics awaken Bear. Based on Deer's definition, each animal finds what he thinks is snow, but readers will know that they're wrong, and will be as delighted as Squirrel, Hedgehog, and Bear when the real flakes begin to fall. ( )

This is a cleaver story with cute illustrations. ( )

Originally published in German as Herr Eichhorn und der erste Schnee (literally, "Mr. Squirrel and the First Snow"), Sebastian Meschenmoser's delightful picture-book follows the story of a squirrel who has never seen snow, and who decides that this is the year he will correct the omission. His efforts to remain alert, while "waiting for winter," awaken a prickly hedgehog, who joins him in his vigil. When squirrel and hedgehog's sea shanties bring bleary-eyed bear to them, suddenly there are three watchers in the wood. Eventually growing tired of waiting, the three decide to search for snow, with some hilarious results. But then, in a moment of indescribable magic and wonder, they finally see what they've been waiting for...

A lovely tribute to the winter season, and to the wild creatures of the forest, Waiting for Winter pairs a deceptively simple narrative with brilliant pencil illustrations, occasionally enhanced by paint. As another reviewer has noted, Meschenmoser's drawings seem rather messy and chaotic, when examined up-close, but the over-all effect is one of motion and vitality. The facial expressions on squirrel, hedgehog, and bear are priceless, and some of the wordless sequences are simply hysterical! Squirrel passed out on his branch, bear staring with sleepy disgruntlement - these scenes will stay with the reader long after the book has been put away.

Truly, this is a little gem! Now if only they'd translate Meschenmoser's two other titles featuring squirrel - Herr Eichhorn und der Mond and Herr Eichhorn weiß den Weg zum Glück - I'd be content! ( )