Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Cristina Sitja Rubio’s The Most Beautiful Winter is a delightful and heartwarming picture book that captures the magic of winter through the eyes of a restless Badger. Translated by Vineet Lal, this charming tale is a perfect blend of whimsical storytelling and enchanting illustrations.

As the first snowflakes begin to fall, the forest animals prepare for their long winter slumber. However, Badger is not ready to hibernate. With a “DO NOT DISTURB” sign posted by Mr. Bear, Badger sets out to make the most of the cold months ahead. His journey leads him to discover that he is not alone in his wakefulness. Birds, foxes, rabbits, and other creatures join him in a winter celebration, creating a vibrant and lively atmosphere amidst the quiet, sleeping forest.

Rubio’s narrative is engaging and relatable, especially for young readers who might share Badger’s reluctance to go to bed. The story beautifully balances humor and warmth, making it an excellent choice for bedtime reading or winter-themed story sessions. The crayon-illustrated cast of animals adds a layer of charm and whimsy, bringing the forest to life with vivid colors and expressive characters.

The Most Beautiful Winter includes back matter that distinguishes between torpor and hibernation, providing young readers with fascinating facts about animal behavior during winter. This blend of fiction and non-fiction makes it a versatile addition to any child’s bookshelf.

The soft ink, gouache, and watercolor illustrations are a visual treat. Rubio’s artistic style is gentle and inviting, perfectly complementing the cozy and festive mood of the story. The end papers, featuring animals that sleep a lot in winter and those that don’t, are a delightful touch that adds to the book’s overall appeal.

The Most Beautiful Winter is a must-read for children and parents. Its endearing protagonist, captivating illustrations, and educational content make it a standout in the sea of hibernation-themed books.

Whether you’re looking for a snuggly bedtime story or a fun winter read, this book is sure to charm readers of all ages.

While most of his forest friends hide away to sleep the cold, dark season away, our friend Badger discovers joy is still to be found in the snowy, cold winter. The illustrations are detailed and show a variety of hibernating creatures tucked away waiting for the warmth of spring. Children will be excited to follow along with Badger as he finds new playmates among the trees and banks of snow. This would be a good addition to any winter collection of picture books for children.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

The Most Beautiful Winter is a classic-style illustrated picture book for children about wildlife and hibernation.
Badger has lots of plans for fun things to do during the winter, but when he calls on his friends, they're all sound asleep hibernating until spring. Badger tries to pass the time doing other things but misses his friends. When he makes new friends, he spends all winter doing exciting and new things with them, and when his hibernating friends awaken again, Badger is fast asleep from his many adventures.
I loved the beautiful classic style illustrations in this book and colours used. The back of the book has a page for children giving information about how they can help wildlife during the winter months.

This is short and sweet, a simple narrative and a little information for learning more about animals. I think it could have benefited from giving an idea of what parts of the world these animals live in. The artwork is very agreeable, although not striking.

Book Review: The Most Beautiful Winter by Cristina Sitja Rubio

Rating: 3 Stars

I recently had the pleasure of diving into The Most Beautiful Winter, a cozy little gem that captures the essence of winter through the eyes of Badger, a rather restless forest dweller. As the snow blankets the trees and all the other animals settle down for their long winter's nap, Badger finds himself wide awake and brimming with ideas for fun. Unfortunately, his friends seem to be hibernating hard—Mr. Bear has a "DO NOT DISTURB" sign posted, Marmot is unresponsive, and even the nighthawk is deep in slumber. So, what's a busy Badger to do?

As he engages in various activities like drawing, knitting, and reading, you can't help but feel for him. The story cleverly encourages readers to think outside the box about what hibernating animals might do instead of just snoozing away. While I really found this narrative charming, I did wish for a bit more interaction or connection with the other animals. It feels a little lonely at times, but perhaps that also drives home the message of making your own fun during winter.

One of the standout features of this book is its vibrant illustrations. The crayon-like artwork brings the forest and its inhabitants to life in such a delightful way. Seriously, some of these illustrations—like Badger knitting—are just beautiful and add so much warmth to the story. They truly enhance the overall reading experience, making it visually appealing for children and adults alike.

Additionally, I appreciate how The Most Beautiful Winter doesn't just tell a story but also educates its readers. At the end of the book, there's a helpful section explaining hibernation and even touches on the concept of torpor—something that badgers experience as winter comes to a close. This educational component is a wonderful touch and serves as a great conversation starter for families.

In summary, while The Most Beautiful Winter is a lovely read that teaches kids about hibernation in an imaginative way, I found myself wishing for deeper interactions between Badger and his friends. Nevertheless, with its enchanting illustrations and informative content, it's still a solid pick for family reading time or library story hours during the chilly months. All in all, I’d give it three stars out of five; it’s delightful but could use a little more warmth from its characters.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

Lovely story and illustrations, I really enjoyed the afterward woth a message about hibernation and ESPECIALLY what we can do to help the animals.

A beautiful, wintery picture book that will warm the reader‘s heart during the cold season.

Aside from the gorgeous illustrations, the story has important values to teach. It shows, how animals spend the winter and especially the notes in the end on how to help them during the cold season was perfect!

Highly recommend this!

This is a very simple but cute story that little ones will probably like.
The drawings are not exactly my taste but surely a lot of children will love them.
The book teaches which animals go into hibernation and which do not.
Apart from this I found the book maybe a little too flat and with the plot too simple.

Thank you to the author, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This children's book introduces the topic of hibernation and winter active animals to young children, with Badger playing a central role as a hibernating animal that is determined to push through and enjoy - the most beautiful winter. We loved the illustrations, which were vibrant and fun, in a slightly primitive - in a good way! - style and seeing all the winter activities Badger enjoyed for the first time. Of course, once spring comes, Badger needs to recoup the lost sleep, which emphasized the difference between hibernating and winter active animals.

There are so many reasons to love The Most Beautiful Winter - it's educational in a way that's friendly to readers, the illustrations are absolutely beautiful and encourage conversation with young ones about what's happening in each piece of artwork, there are activities for little ones to try so that they can help the animals in their own neighborhoods...it's truly amazing. I look forward to seeing this one in our library soon!
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. While all his friends are sleeping, Badger is out and about this winter. He finds things to do while his friends sleep, but when they all wake up, where is the Badger?

Badger wants to play with all his friends, but he finds them all sleeping. As he is not tired, he goes around and around the forest looking to see if anybody might be awake to play. He finally goes to play with the birds. They play and play until it is spring. Now all his hibernating friends are awake and badger is asleep.
A cute story that my school aged child loved.
I received a ARC of this title, all opinions are my own.

A winter arrives, many of the animals begin their long sleep, but Badger wonders who he’ll play with for the long season.

This cozy read begins to touch on topics of hibernation and winter active animals. I especially liked how welcoming the illustrations seem for a young audience. Through a drawing style that is reminiscent of a child’s drawings (I mean this is a good way!) it’ll the whole book feels so cozy and child friendly.

What a wish was a bit stronger in this book was the story itself. It currently makes a good quick read, but I personally would prefer a bit more depth to the hibernation versus winter active part of the story. It mentions the animals going to sleep, and at the end of the book it does describe hibernation separate from the story, but I would like more of an explanation of what was happening in the story.

Thanks NetGalley for an ebook of this book!

I loved the font for this book. It was so pretty and perfect for a winter book. The illustrations were really pretty as well. I love the message of making new friends and getting out of your comfort zone!

This was a cute book. The pictures were very cute and i enjoyed reading it to my children. Some parts were worded a little strange, but overall it was cute.

Badger is ready for a fun winter, but his friends are all sleeping! A beautifully illustrated book about hibernation. I find the art bold and inviting,
the text is simple and sweet. I could use this in a story time for younger kids and introduce them to a new topic with animal friends they may be familiar with.

The Most Beautiful Winter written by Cristina Sitja Rubio is a about badger who has plans for the winter months ahead but there is just one problem, his friends are all asleep. Badger attempts to keep himself occupied in his cozy home but unable to be alone, he sets out to explore making new friends and memories along the way. While reading this book I felt a warm, cozy, and whimsical feeling and I appreciated the educational aspect on how some animals spend time in winter hibernating and others do not. The illustrations are beautifully drawn and have vibrant colors that pair well with the story. This is a perfect book for children and families at home or even for a library read aloud to educate children in a fun and creative way on the nature of animals during winter.

I really enjoyed this book!

I loved the writing style for the book and the way that it was written - the book had a great flow to it and I loved seeing what the Badger got up too through the winter when his friends were asleep and hibernating - he certainly was busy with his new friends!

I really liked the ending too and it did make me smile - as my daughter said when we read it "awww bless Badger!"

The illustrations in the book were wonderful - they really brought the story to life - we both really enjoyed them.

It is 5 stars from me for this one - very highly recommended - a lovely read!

Beautiful illustrations with a heartfelt narrative of hibernating animals. My 5 year old really enjoyed this book. We enjoyed reading about which animals hibernate and why they do this.

Such a beautiful book and amazing illustrations. For anyone who loves winter and winter activities/hobbies. I think this is so important for kids now who can be endlessly busy, without boredom/rest/hibernation, if they wanted to.

Thank you NetGalley and Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company for this ARC!