The Heart of Winter

THE HEART OF WINTER is a heartwarming story of friendship and found family. Chip is a little robin who gets blown in a gust of wind and snow on Christmas Eve. Lost and afraid, he is found by Lula the fox who helps to get him warm and play with them. They have a great time, though Chip misses his family. Luckily, they find Chip's family, but now Lula is alone and wishing she had Chip to celebrate Christmas with. When a knock comes on her door, Lula finds herself with all the love of Chip and his family.

What I loved: This is such a sweet and heartwarming story of friendship, helping others, and found family. The story is relatable, as children can understand what it feels like to be lonely and the power of friendship and connection. The illustrations are lovely and convey the story beautifully with wintery scenes on every page. The use of color is beautiful with black-and-white images except for red accents that make the characters and some holiday imagery really stand out.

The Christmas setting is lovely and makes this a great pick for the holidays. As Christmas is about generosity, coming together, and love, this story conveys these sentiments well with a happy ending that melts the heart. This is a great non-religious pick for the holiday season.

Final verdict: THE HEART OF WINTER is a lovely, heartwarming picture book that will enchant young readers around Christmastime. With beautiful use of color and messages of friendship and kindness, the story resonates wonderfully around the holiday.

A cozy, wintery tale of two unlikely critters finding warmth and friendship through kindness. When Chip the bird is separated from her family, Lola the fox takes him into her home. They have many happy days together, until Chip's family returns and Lola is happy to see the love the share but also sad to be alone again. But these little birds have lots of love to go around, and they show Lola as much love as one of their own and have a happy Christmas all together.

It's a classic tale, well told. Chip and Lola show us how even the confident and inquisitive need help sometimes, and how rewarding it is to everyone to help out a new friend in need. The muted tones of the illustrations perfectly capture a cold, winter scene, with pops of color for Chip and Lola and the warm love of their newfound family.

This is a great cozy read for Christmas time with family and friends.