Snowy, Blowy Winter

December 1, 2008
PreS-KA diverse group of families engages in quintessential cold-weather activities. On each page, an adjective ("snowy," "blowy,") or a simple sentence ("windows are glowy") accompanies an illustration depicting an easily recognizable winter scene. Snowflakes are caught, hats blow off, sidewalks are shoveled, and children look at icicles outside while Mom coughs and sneezes in her bathrobe. The dormant state of the natural world is touched upon briefly in a picture of several animals hibernating underground ("everyone's dozy"). As the book comes to a close, a groundhog emerges from its hole to see its shadow, which means, of course, "six more weeks of snowy blowy...seedy squirrelly winter!" The text is simple and bouncy, and the cartoon illustrations are bright, clear, and inclusive. The book's quick pace and cheerful pictures make it a perfect choice for seasonal storytimes. The variety of activities and families introduced also makes it a great conversation starter for one-on-one sharing."Rachael Vilmar, Eastern Shore Regional Library, Salisbury, MD"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2009
Words ending in -y, from "Frosty, freezy, stuffy and sneezy" to "Rosy, cozy, everyone's dozy," represent winter's spectrum. Vibrantly colored, dynamic illustrations, some contained within cloud-shaped frames, of children sledding, skating, and making snow angels, plus families sipping cocoa and reading by the fire, capture the warmth of a chilly season. A recipe for "Snowy, Blowy Ice Cream" is included.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)