I Hear the Snow, I Smell the Sea
by Janice Milusich; illus. by Chris Raschka
Preschool, Primary    Schwartz/Random    48 pp.
10/25    9780593308172    $18.99
Library ed.  9780593308189    $21.99
e-book ed.  9780593308196    $9.99

“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.

From the November/December 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.