ACCESS DIGITIZED EDITION
Guide/Reviews Database
PICTURE BOOKS
Milusich, Janice

I Hear the Snow, I Smell the Sea

48 pp. | Random/Schwartz | October, 2025 | Trade ISBN 9780593308172 $18.99 | Library ISBN 9780593308189 $21.99 | Ebook ISBN 9780593308196 $9.99
(2) K-3 Illustrated by Chris Raschka. “Where I live, seasons change. I know because my fingers and toes, my ears, my mouth and nose all tell me so.” Accompanied by her mother, an active, curious blind child experiences the world through her senses. In winter, Neveah hears the creak of snow under her feet, tastes snowflakes on her tongue, smells woodsmoke. In spring, she hears bees buzzing and birds chirping and smells hyacinths, touching each petal. Summer finds her at the beach, listening to the ocean waves, smelling hot dogs, sunscreen, and peaches, and feeling the cold of the water and the warmth of the sun’s rays. Autumn brings the sound of geese flying overhead, the feel of jumping into a pile of leaves, and more. Commendably, the book doesn’t perpetuate the tired trope that blind people have enhanced senses to compensate for lack of sight; it simply conveys and celebrates the richness of sensory experience that exists even without sight. Milusich scatters lots of onomatopoeia throughout her text, adding child appeal. Raschka’s signature impressionistic art, in watercolor and oil pastels, employs a palette of cool blues for the winter scenes, pinks for spring, yellow for summer, and orange for fall. A welcome addition to the oeuvre of picture books about disability and the senses.
Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2025

RELATED 

PICTURE BOOKS

Born Ready
by Patterson, Jodie
PICTURE BOOKS

The House of Grass and Sky
by Ray, Mary Lyn
PICTURE BOOKS

The Dog's Gardener
by Storms, Patricia
PICTURE BOOKS

And I Paint It
by Kephart, Beth
PICTURE BOOKS

Poem in My Pocket
by Tougas, Chris
More

Get connected. Join our global community of more than 200,000 librarians and educators.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?