(2) K-3 Illustrated by Ashley Lukashevsky. Claire, who lives with her family in Hawai'i, yearns to experience snow. Her family visits Mauna Kea, but the snow there isn't the kind she's seen in movies--she wants soft snow, not icy. She also wants real mittens (not socks), a real scarf (not an old beach towel), a real snowman (not the sad-looking lump they build), and a real sled (not the "sugarcane truck inner tube" that bumps over the hard snow). But her discontent dissipates after a day at nearby Hapuna Beach, where her family builds a sandman, using shells for eyes, driftwood for a pipe, and coral for a smile. Claire floats happily in the waves (in the inner tube), and then everyone makes sand angels. Claire now realizes she lives on a "beautiful island of lava fields, sandy beaches, rain forests, fiery volcanoes, sacred mountains, and, yes, even snow." This "grass is always greener" story will fascinate kids accustomed to snow every winter and will remind kids in warmer climates of the beauty to be found in their own surroundings. Yamanaka and Lukashevsky both convey their love of their home state; the lyrically written narrative contains Hawaiian words (glossary/pronunciation guide included), and the digital illustrations glow with vibrant colors, the multihued ocean imagery far outshining Claire's imaginary pink and purple snow scenes.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2022