It's not a Pretty or Happy poem. There's a heft to it, and it is best appreciated as having a melancholy mood, if not an actually dark one.

Poetry

“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” illustrated by Vivian Mineker, brings a new visual dimension to Robert Frost’s classic poem. Known for her illustrations of “The Road Not Taken,” Mineker continues her exploration of Frost’s poetry with a style that is both approachable and quietly elegant.

The illustrations are a fitting complement to Frost’s contemplative words, offering a gentle, almost understated interpretation. Mineker’s artwork, with its blend of old-style charm and modern simplicity, adds a fresh layer to the poem, making it more relatable to young readers without overshadowing the original text’s intent.

Her depiction of the snowy woods and the characters that subtly appear throughout the narrative adds a nice touch, providing visual anchors to Frost’s themes of solitude and the pull of obligations. While not groundbreaking, the art is effective in conveying the poem’s mood and setting.

The book’s storyline stays true to the essence of Frost’s poem. The narrative, focusing on the narrator’s quiet pause in a snowy wood, is rendered with a simplicity that mirrors the poem’s understated elegance. This approach works well, making the book an accessible introduction to classic poetry for children.

Overall, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” is a commendable adaptation. It’s a book that respects the integrity of the original poem while offering a new way to experience it. Mineker’s illustrations provide a pleasant and thoughtful backdrop to Frost’s words, making this book a good choice for those looking to introduce young readers to the world of classic poetry. ( )

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, illustrated by P.J. Lynch.

The words of the classic poem from Robert Frost, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, written in 1922 and first published in the poet's 1923 New Hampshire collection, are paired in this gorgeous picture book with the watercolor and gouache artwork of Irish illustrator P.J. Lynch. Here the narrator of the poem is a young woman, riding her horse through a snowbound world, and briefly stopping to gaze at a beautiful wood...

I have loved this poem since childhood, when I first encountered it in a volume of Frost's poetry taken from my father's shelves, and I have also loved the picture book made of it in 1978 by American artist Susan Jeffers, whose illustrations are a thing of beauty, amplifying the mystery and wonder of these words. That said, I am also a great admirer of P.J. Lynch's work, so when I heard that he had also recently produced a new picture book presentation of this poem, I immediately set out to track it down. I am so glad I did, as I found this new presentation just as (if not slightly more) beautiful than the Jeffers—which is quite an achievement! I think the two artists do something rather different, in their visual interpretations, and I appreciate that difference. Whereas the Jeffers has a rather cheerful "dashing through the snow" feeling, complete with a figure that looks suspiciously like Santa Claus, the Lynch captures an individual who, save for her horse, is truly along in a frozen world. One gets the sense, in some of these illustrations, of the feeling of being frozen, not just in the landscape, but in the young woman, who is momentarily transfixed by the deep and dark beauty of the woods. Recommended to anyone looking for picture book presentations of this poem—I recommend reading both it and the Jeffers—as well as to fellow fans of P.J. Lynch. ( )

Wonderful artwork to accompany a great poem. ( )