Adventures in the Snow
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-- School Library Journal, 3/5/2008 9:50:00 AM
Ezra Jack Keats’s The Snowy Day (Viking, 1962) is considered by many to be the quintessential “snow day” title, with young and gentle Peter finding joy and fun in every snowflake. Each of the following books also hails the arrival of a wintry wonderland and all the frosty opportunities it offers for adventure.
CREWS, Nina. Snowball. illus. by author. HarperCollins/Greenwillow. 1997. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-688-14928-4.
PreS-Gr 1–No one does urban photo-journalism like Crews. Day after day, a little girl anticipates a big snowstorm. Finally, she wakes up to snow flying outside her window and engages in all the fun activities a snow day brings. A great storytime starter.
GAY, Marie-Louise. Stella, Queen of the Snow. illus. by author. Groundwood. 2000. Tr $15.95. ISBN 978-0-88899-404-2; pap. $7.95. ISBN 978-0-88899-651-0.
PreS-Gr 2–Stella, oh so wise at about the age of six, is delighted to show her younger brother the wonders of snow. “What does a snowman eat?” asks Sam, and Stella replies, “Snowballs…snow peas…and snowsuits!” Listeners will delight in alternately refuting or supporting her responses. Gay’s illustrations illuminate every wintry page.
KIRK, Daniel. Snow Dude. illus. by author. Hyperion. 2004. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7868-1942-3.
PreS-Gr 3–Kirk’s illustrations light up this familiar story of a snowman come to life. The fact that this snowman sports a mohawk-style haircut and is a shredder provides a cool variation on the theme, and when everyone in town wants their own snow dude, things get very interesting!
PLOURDE, Lynn. Snow Day. illus. by Hideko Takahashi. S & S. 2001. Tr $16. ISBN 978-0-689-82600-9.
PreS-Gr 3–Plourde’s bouncy and alliterative text is complemented perfectly by Takahashi’s bold acrylic illustrations depicting the indoor and outdoor activities that one family enjoys while snowed in. A great read-aloud that will encourage listeners to tell their own snow day stories.
YEE, Wong Herbert. Tracks in the Snow. illus. by author. Holt. 2003. Tr $15.95. ISBN 978-0-8050-6771-2.
PreS-Gr 2–A young girl in a red coat, striped scarf, and blue mittens wanders through a wintry landscape, following the tracks of woodchucks, rabbits, and ducks. The gentle refrain of, "Who made the tracks? Where do they go?" allows readers to join in the search. The child makes snow angels and slides down hills, but she never loses interest in the tracks, and finally follows her very own footprints back home again.
Remarkable Reads are produced by the editors of NoveList, NoveList K-8, and Book Index with Reviews (
