In Wintertime
Grade 2-4-A little girl listens to her grandmother's stories of growing up in Norway, and the winters there, in this quiet slice-of-life story. There is much description of relatives and feasts and holidays and what people are doing, but little about the people themselves. Readers never get a sense of the narrator's identity, other than as a narrator. The illustrations are soft and sometimes awkward watercolor and pen-and-ink drawings that are technically fine but again, never come to life. This book recalls and idealizes a way of life that has all but disappeared; it will hold appeal only to those who are connected in some way with this heritage.JoAnn Rees, Sunnyvale Public Library, CACopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.