Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening

Vivian Mineker is a Taiwanese-American illustrator who mainly works with watercolour and gouache. When she's not drawing or painting, you can probably find her outside running around with her dog Darlie, browsing and sniffing at books in bookstores, and occasionally stopping for a cup of coffee or a piece of cake.

"Frost’s familiar lines become the backdrop for a man’s evening of reminiscence in the snowy woods. Walking beside his horse into a realm of tall, blue-shaded tree trunks, the red-bearded man carries a book under his arm. The book’s title, My Life’s Stories, is key to each of the swiftly changing scenes. As he embraces a ghostly gray-haired man and woman walking through the trees, the view shifts to a family scene of a boy holding open a book while speaking excitedly to two adults. Back in the woods, two more transparent figures appear to interact with the narrator at other life stages. A young man is apparently a good friend, and a young woman with flowing black hair stays for scenes of marriage and pregnancy. With promises to keep and miles to go, man and horse head out of the woods into a glowing moonrise. Unlikely to resonate with children, the evening of sentimental recollection may well appeal to older readers and adults who are already fond of this beloved poem. VERDICT This well-crafted blend of poem and memory may find use in poetry classes and book groups".–Margaret Bush, Simmons Coll., Boston for School Library Journal