Book Review: I Definitely Don’t Like Winter

I Definitely Don’t Like Winter by Fiona Barker is a brightly illustrated picture book about two squirrel friends named Hoog and Hank. Hank is a lover of summer while Hoog is a lover of winter. The two enjoy summer together but when winter comes Hoog is excited for snow and all of the things that winter brings. Hank on the other hand starts to get sad. He doesn’t like particularly like winter and would rather stay home while Hoog loves to sled and celebrate the winter solstice. Hoog loves winter but he also loves his friend Hank so he begins to understand just how hard it is for him. The two meet in the middle and cozy up to enjoy the winter night sky once they realize that winter can be cold and lonely even more if you don’t have friends to connect with.

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I Definitely Don’t Like Winter is one of the first picture books I’ve reviewed that refers to winter depression or blues in an easy-to-explain way to children. Seasonal depression is a type of sadness that happens during the same time each year, usually in the winter. When the days get shorter and there is less sunlight, people like Hank can feel very tired, sad, and lose interest in activities they usually enjoy.

The book does a wonderful job of showing how Hank feels during these difficult times and how his friend Hoog understands and supports him. The book shows that Hank’ss loneliness only compounds when his friend Hoog is out enjoying the season. That loneliness causes the two to come to an agreement to hang out together and also to cuddle under a blanket which illustrates that friendship and togetherness can help beat the winter blues.

The illustrations by Christine Pym are sweet and colorful. The two squirrels are distinguished by their fur color but also by their different interests. Hoog has golden fur which pops in the scenes of him enjoying winter while Hank has grey which blends in with his sadness during winter. Pym’s illustrations do an excellent job showing the different seasons Hoog and Hank experience, making it easy to feel the warmth of summer and the chill of winter.

I Definitely Don’t Like Winter is a fun picture book teaching the importance of meeting a friend halfway and understanding that while everyone may like the same seasons and teaches children the way winter blues can affect someone and the importance of having supportive friends.