What a wonderful gift to be given – a snowy day in the south. It makes surroundings pretty and white and then melts away like a distant dream. As long as one is not on the roads traveling, it can be a perfect day. I consider a day when one can do what one wishes such as sleep late, read a book, piece a puzzle or play in the snow as perfect.
One of my joys as librarian at the Como Public Library was opening on a snowy day. I lived a block away and could easily walk to work and open the building for the locals who might be looking for a book or video. It was also a central location for children to come in and get warm between snowball fights.
In celebration of the white stuff, I pulled four brand-new snow books from our children’s display.
Snow! Snow! Snow! by Lee Harper depicts threes dogs enjoying the day flying down the best sledding hill ever. The two pups, no names included in the story, stand excited by the window. It has snowed overnight and the siblings wake to a winter surprise. Harper depicts them hiking to the lake and then carousing down a steep hill. His illustrations capture a perfect day.
Murray the mouse wants to make a perfect soup. He gathers ingredients but is missing a carrot. The farmer agrees to give him a carrot but first he must haul wood to make a barn. Mouse then visits the horse, but the horse wants jingle bells in exchange for hauling wood. At each point in the story mouse rushes past Snowman to encounter the next barter. Quick children will notice that Snowman has no nose. Lisa Moser’s pyramidal story and Ben Mantle’s illustrations in Perfect Soup is, um, perfect.
When I was little, says children’s book author Patricia Hubbell, “I wanted to grow up and be a farmer.” Well, let us be thankful she is an author because she carries the perfect sing-song quality to all her children’s books. Listen to the bounce in her new book Snow Happy! “We’re silly-willy laughy, feeling slightly daffy, leaping through the snow – Snow Happy!”
The Smiley Snowman by M. Christina Butler and illustrated by Tina Macnaughton can be a little less happy when he becomes cold. His furry building friends, Small Fox, Little Bear and Fluffy the bunny, take turns making him warm and returning his joyful disposition.
As your kids romp and stomp through the snow this winter, remember the library for that perfect quiet time afterwards.
OMG! This appeared in the Commercial Appeal! Where have I been not to see this!!!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Snowy Day Books (copy)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
These sounds like fun books! Thanks!
Thx Sharon!
Post a Comment