Three for the Snow

The big snow on the east coast has inspired this post about two snow books for young children. Both are worth sharing in the winter months. Bundle up!

Big Snow by Jonathan Bean

David really wants it to snow. He helps his mother makes cookies, clean the bathroom and change the sheets, but in between it all, he is thinking of and checking for snow. The Big Snow comes while he is napping, but when Dad gets home, they all go out to explore the snow. David and his family have chubby cartoon faces and curly black hair to go along with their brown faces. If you are looking for stories with African American families, this is the book for you. Delightful!

One-Dog Sleigh by Mary Casanova, pictures by Ard Hoyt

A little blond girl hitches up her sleigh to go for a ride in the snow with her dog. Along the way, the house that jack built fashion, she is joined by a squirrel, an owl, a lynx, a deer, a bear and a mouse, they encounter a blizzard and stop to play in the snow. The language is sometimes rhyming and always delightful. Share this one for the pure fun of it!

When It Snows by Richard Collingridge

Bug blue eyes, snug warm cap, bundled up with a bear, a little boy is overcome by the magic of snow and takes an imaginary journey through the land of snowmen, the queen of the poles and ends up in his living room, in front of the fire reading a good book. Who doesn’t want to read a book on a cold, snowy day?

A Bird, a Cat, a Moose and two Elephants

Hello, My name is Ruby by Philip C. Stead

Ruby is a young yellow bird looking for friends. Along the way, she meets other birds, giraffes, elephants and penguins. She finally meets She also finds out something about herself that she didn’t know. Stead’s illustrations will look familiar as the birds are very similar to those found in A Home for a Bird and Jonathan and the Big Blue Boat. But, in this case, familiarity does not breed contempt, as they are still set in amazingly calm, peaceful backgrounds that make you want to jump in the book and become friends with Ruby. 

City Cat by Kate Banks, Pictures by Lauren Castillo

City Cat starts out in Rome and travels across Europe to Paris, London, Amsterdam and Venice to name just a few of the splendid cities where she roams. Each city is depicted with famous landmarks, all being surveyed by a savvy City Cat. The story is told in free verse using many poetic, lyrical devices making it fun to read and easy to listen to. This book can be used in so many ways in the classroom. A purr-fect read-aloud!

A Moose that Says Mooooooo by Jennifer Hamburg, Pictures by Sue Truesdell

A silly rhyming book that imagines a zoo where “The zebra would put on a dress and a cape, wear really tall shoes and then dance with an ape.” If this makes no sense at all, that’s okay because the pictures are equally silly, but delightful to those under 8. Just sit back and enjoy!

 

Elephant’s Story by Tracey Campbell Perason

Gracie loses her book and Elephant finds it. A whimsical story of mixed up letters and a new-found friend. Anyone who loves elephants and books will love this story.

Elecopter by Michael Slack

What happens when you combine an elephant with a helicopter? You get a little blue “Elecopter” ready to save the animals in the forest from everything including the dreaded forest fire. A sweet little elephant who can fly! Who knew it could be this much fun?

Fairy tale and poetry collections in picture books

Fairy Tale Comics: Classic Tales Told by Extraordinary Cartoonists

Edited by Chris Duffy

In an editor’s note, Duffy says: “We wanted a mix <of fairy tales> that included a lot of Grimm tales, a majority of well-known stories, a good sampling of non-European traditions, and a balance of boy and girl heroes.” He has achieved his goal, but could have extended it to be sure that some tales from Africa were represented here. Each tale is retold by a contemporary cartoonist, some are very true to the original tale, but most have a few twists and turns. So, look forward to a female lumberjack in Little Red Riding Hood and multiple cartoon styles throughout the book. Great for young ones who don’t know these tales and for challenging older children to find what’s the same and what’s different.

My Mother Goose

By David McPhail

David McPhail’s illustrations are whimsical, magical and full of fun. Some of these poems are illustrated with cherubic, but mischievous children and some have only animals. Most of these poems are quite familiar, but my favorite new one was the second verse of Hickory Dickory Dock:

Hickory Dickory Dare,

The pig flew up in the air,

The man in brown

Son brought him down,

Hickory Dickory Dare!

Princess Tales: Once Upon a Time in Rhyme with Seek-and-Find Pictures

Adapted By Grace Maccarone, illustrated by Gail de Marcken

Each of these ten beloved fairy tales is retold in rhyme. Here is the beginning of Sleeping Beauty:

Long ago, a king and queen

Begat a child, the fairest seen.

The fairies came to celebrate.

The king, not knowing there were eight,

Invited seven. One was slighted.

Angry she was not invited…

Lavish illustrations with each page containing several items to seek and find. A book with many hours of pleasure for both parents and children. I hate to limit this to little girls, as little boys may also be enchanted with both the rhymes and the seek and find challenges.