"Cozy indoor and outdoor scenes pulse with swirls of color and flowing lines, confirming that even during the bleakest days, one can find hope and merriment. Alice Provensen's brief introduction helps relate Shakespeare's words to today's young readers. Larger collections will want to consider this book for its notable artwork and general introduction to the Bard."
     —School Library Journal

"Hall makes a cheery mixed-media collection of images in bright colors, fulsome textures and an Elizabethan air. ... A fine winter read-aloud and an appropriate introduction to the Bard for this age group."
     —Kirkus Reviews

"Matches Shakespeare's famous ditty from "Love's Labour's Lost" with singularly beautiful double-page spreads. ...The effect is magical, slowing the poem down and letting the paintings ignite it line by line."
     —Washington Post Book World


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"Cozy indoor and outdoor scenes pulse with swirls of color and flowing lines, confirming that even during the bleakest days, one can find hope and merriment. Alice Provensen's brief introduction helps relate Shakespeare's words to today's young readers. Larger collections will want to consider this book for its notable artwork and general introduction to the Bard."
     —School Library Journal

"Hall makes a cheery mixed-media collection of images in bright colors, fulsome textures and an Elizabethan air. ... A fine winter read-aloud and an appropriate introduction to the Bard for this age group."
     —Kirkus Reviews

"Matches Shakespeare's famous ditty from "Love's Labour's Lost" with singularly beautiful double-page spreads. ...The effect is magical, slowing the poem down and letting the paintings ignite it line by line."
     —Washington Post Book World

"Colorful mixed-media illustrations bring to life this brief comic song, which Shakespeare composed for the conclusion of 'Love's Labour's Lost.' ...Hall's images, evocative of the Elizabethan era, add charm and detail to Shakespeare's playful poem."
     —New York Times Book Review

"A colorful introduction to Shakespeare and one of his lesser-known works."
     —Library Media Connection

"Hall's illustrations and Shakespeare's words transport us to a winter setting more than 400 years ago. We are there collecting milk from cows that turns icy and in church where parishioners' coughs from winter colds "drown out the parson's saw." The words are glorious, and the illustrations bring the times to life."
     —The Reading Teacher

"Shakespeare's vivid description of wintertime is a fine introduction to his work and language for young readers and listeners. ...[Hall's] mixed media scenes suggest rather than stipulate the houses, clothing, and interiors of the poet's time, while emphasizing the frigid exteriors and activities that help create warmth. The gray-blues and scumbled whites of the outdoors contrast with the oranges and reds cast by the fireplace's flames, as the poem's printed words find visual partners in the illustrations. The "Introduction" helps place the poem in its time."
     —Children's Literature