Blog Tour: Scooper and Dumper written and illustrated by Lindsay Ward

 

Scooper and Dumper 

written and illustrated by Lindsay Ward

Two Lions Press, 2021, 40 pages

Winter's here and that means lots of snow. Good thing best friends Scooper and Dumper are on the job: "Clear the road,/ Salt the street,/ Work together,/ Can't be beat!" Yellow Scooper uses her front loader to scoop up lots of salt and fill up blue Dumper's bed with it. Then while Scooper stays where she is to load more trucks with salt, Dumper travels along the roads, using his front plow to clear the snow in front of home and then salting the roads behind him from his back bed to help keep the snow from accumulating again. 

But when the snows starts to fall even harder, cars and trucks in the big nearby city are brought to a halt. When the city has run out of salt, can their country friends Scooper and Dumper help out and get traffic moving again?.

Scooper loads up Dumper with more salt and sends him on his way. But after helping to get traffic moving again, when Dumper starts back to the country, the icy roads and thick snow drifts make driving hard. Next thing he knows, Dumper is on his side in a snowbank. Can Scooper find the courage and confidence she needs to leave the salt yard to find and help out her missing best friend?

Scooper and Dumper is a story that is sure to please young readers and especially young truck lovers. And why not? It stars trucks, their favorite kind of vehicles, it's  loaded with excitement and nail-biting action, and it is about how two best friends can be there for each other.

The story is told in four short stanza rhymes using an ABCB rhyme scheme which basically works all the way through the end of the book. The repetition of "Clear the road,/ Salt the street,/ Work together,/ Can't be beat!" emphasizes the idea of courage, friendship and working together to accomplish a goal. And no doubt, your young readers will be chanting these four lines before you know it.

Whether your town is blanketed in snow and waiting for your scooper and dumper to clear the roads or not, this is a book that is sure to be a kid-pleaser.

This book is recommended for readers age 4+

This book was gratefully received from Barbara Fisch at BlueSlipMedia

Meet the Author: 

Lindsay Ward is the creator of the Dexter T. Rex series, as well as Rosie: Stronger than Steel, This Book is Gray, Brobarians, Rosco vs. the Baby and The Importance of Being 3. Her book Please Bring Balloons was also made into a play. Lindsay lives with her family in Peninsula, Ohio, where vehicles such as Scooper and Dumper take care of the roads all year-round. Learn more about her online at www.lindsaymward.com and on Twitter @lindsaymward

☃️Let It Snow! A Winter Wonderland of Picture Books☃️

My young readers love snowy stories and these are some of our new favorite picture books that we would like to share with you. We don't get as much snow in NYC as other places, so snowy stories are always fun, without the slippery slush that follows a beautiful snowfall. We hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

Red Sled written and illustrated by Lita Judge

Little Simon, 2019, 38 pages

 After a day of sledding, a young child returns home, leaving her sled outside the door. That night, along comes a bear, sees the sled and creeps away with it. It doesn't take long for bear to be joined by various woodland creatures as he sleds downhill. Rabbit, moose, two raccoons, possum, hedgehog, and mouse all join in the fun until...oops, a crash landing at the bottom of a steep hill before returning the sled. Next morning, the child notices the bear's footprints, and following them, joins the woodland creatures for some more sledding fun. My kids love this book and I was happy to have this new board book because it could be left for the kids to "read" on their own without having to worry about ripped pages. As was the original hardcover picture book, it's a charming wordless, but not soundless book. There's onomatopoeic sounds on each page and I would hear my young readers imitating the sounds as they went through the story, laughing all the way (and I suspect wishing they could join in the fun).

Snow Still written and illustrated by Holly Surplice

Nosy Crow, 2019, 22 pages

Another new favorite board book, a little fawn steps out into a world covered in snow one morning. As he sets out to explore this new white world, he discovers just how slippery can be. But there's also so much to see and observe around him. There are the two rabbits to chase and seek after they hide from him, there are seven little birds sitting on a tree branch, the silence of a owl flying over head, and the chilliness of new falling snow on a winter day. As the snow deepens, it's time to return home and to the warmth and safety of mom and sleep. This is a sweet story, told in rhyming couplets, with only two descriptive word on each page, each beginning with the word snow. My kids liked having this read to them during resting time and later exploring the fawn's winter wonderland with each other. The seasonal watercolor and ink illustrations are done in winter whites and blues and are just delightful.  

All Around Bustletown: Winter 

by Rotraut Susanne Berner

Prestel Junior, 2019, 14 pages

Bustletown is one busy place, even on a snowy day, in this oversized board book. Follow Lisa from home as she makes her way to the skating pond, finding a lost wallet and key on her way and returning them to Billy, who's on his way to jpg in the park. Anne is supposed to meet friends at a cafe, but overslept and must hurry, hurry through Bustletown. Oliver and his dad take the bus to the cultural center, then his dad heads to the store to buy a special present for Oliver. Bonnie the cat is tooling around town looking for some tasty tid-bits to eat. These are just some of the stories kids can follow. Each two page spread is filled to the brim with people, activity, cutaways of buildings to show what's happening inside. There's an apartment building, a train station, a department store, the cultural center, and of course, the very busy town square. And it's not just people who are pursuing their day, there are also some pretty busy dogs, cats, and birds. The pages are bright and colorful, the people distinct and easy to follow, and the pages are not so busy that young readers will feel overwhelmed. Mine had lots of fun talking about what everyone in Bustletown is doing, and comparing it to their similar experiences. This is a fun seek and find book that will keep kids as busy as the residents of Bustletown.

A Day for Skating by Sarah Sullivan,

illustrated by Madeline Valentine

Candlewick Press, 2019, 32 pages

Told in a brief, playful rhyme, this book has quickly become a favorite with my young readers, none of whom, ironically, have ever skated, but want to try it someday. In this story, a young girl and family head out to the frozen pond for a day of skating and family time. The young girl in a novice skater and when she falls, her dad gently reassures her that it's is part of the learning process. There are lots of other skaters on the ice, with varying degrees of skill, and everyone is having a good time. The family takes a break in the snack bar hut to eat and warm up, then it's back out on the ice - no falls this time. As the day comes to a close, the tired family heads home to a warm bath and a bedtime story. The watercolor and color pencil digital illustrations capture the cold day perfectly, especially the passing of time in the changing color of the sky, and the movement of the skaters. The skaters are a very diverse group, including kids of color, a girl in a hijab, and father wearing a yarmulka, and even a girl playing ice hockey. The ending is a pleasing picture of the forest animals taking their turn on the ice, so of whom you may notice watching the kids during the day as they had fun. I used to love ice skating and personally found this to be a really delightful family story.

Snowy Race by April Jones Prince, 

illustrated by Christine Davenier

Margaret Ferguson Books, 2019, 40 pages

It's a very special day, a day when a little girl gets to ride along with her dad on his snow plow. Told in simple rhyming couplets, readers follow a young girl as she wakes up one snowy morning, gets dressed, eats breakfast, and, all bundled up, she's off with dad to get the snow plow out of the garage. Plowing through fields and town until arriving at the train station. My young readers loved the fact that none of their predictions about why father and daughter ended up at the train station. Were they going to race the train? Trains are too fast for snow plows. I loved the look of surprise when we turned the page and saw the girl running towards an arriving passenger. Her mom? Her favorite auntie? Her beloved grandma? Then, it's a race home to a cozy warm house with mom AND dad. This was an exciting picture book to share with my kids because there was so much to speculate about based on other snow plow books we've read, but it turned out to be such a different story. The couplets are short but very expressive, capturing the little girl's excitement at riding in the plow with her dad, racing to the train station in time in such a heavy snowstorm, and greeting her mom. The illustrations are done in a pastel palette with ink and manage to evoke both the cold of the snow storm and the warmth of the family at the same time. We've read this book in F&G form and it's been loved a lot. Needless to say, I can't wait to get the hardcover available November 26, 2019 for our little library of favorite picture books.

Some Snow Is... by Ellen Yeomans,

illustrated by Andrea Offermann

G.P. Putnam's Sons BFYR, 2019, 32 pages

How many snows are there? According to this book, there are many different kinds of snow and each kind is chronicled in this lovely expressive picture book that takes readers through the snow possibilities of three seasons and kids reactions to them: From first snow ("Some snow is First Snow. /We've waited for so long snow. /It it really snow snow?/or only heavy rain?") to Sleet Snow, Fluff Snow, Angel Snow (snow angels everywhere), Snowball Snow, Driveway Snow (the worst, lots of shoveling), Tracking Snow (which critters belong to those footprints), Yellow Snow (stay away from that snow), Sledding Snow, Snow Day Snow, Snowman Snow, and Spring Snow (mostly mud and rain), until finally, there's no more snow ("Soon, soon, all gone snow./We've waited for so long snow./Please, please, no more snow.../our bikes are whispering") and spring is on the way. I love books that pull my kids into lively conversations and this one really did that. Each four line stanza ends with the word snow, except the last line, so there is really a wonderful melodic quality to each kind of snow. The season watercolor, pen and ink illustrations are detailed and really added to the snow conversations we had as my young readers explored each page thoroughly. The truth of this book is that we are always excited for the first snow and tired of the last one.   

One Snowy Morning by Kevin Tseng,

illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte

Dial Books, 2019, 32 pages

When I first read this delightful book, I laughed out loud, but I wondered how my young readers would react. Well, they loved it, too. One snowy morning, friends squirrel and chipmunk spot what they see as a giant pile of snow but reader know is a snowman. Mistaking the different parts that make a snowman a snowman, the friends make what readers know are incorrect assumptions about each one. The eyes are lumpy kickballs, the stick arms are wooden legs, the hat is a rowboat, the not a rare dragon's tooth, and my favorite, the mitten are fish puppets. As more and more woodland animals gather round, they strip the everything off the snowman, taking it back to their lair where they prepare a lovely dragon tooth soup for their friends. But what if someone else had been planning a dragon-tooth-soup party? The friends take what components they still have and return it to the snowman - sort of. Did my young readers like this book? They loved it, and they thought making the wrong assumptions about each snowman component was hilariously funny because "everybody knows how to make a snowman!" The spare text is very tongue-in-cheek and harmonizes perfectly with the wintery digitally colored pencil illustrations. We've read this a number of times now and it never gets old. What fun!

Bear is Awake! An Alphabet Story
written and illustrated by Hannah E. Harrison
Dial Books, 2019, 32 pages

One winter morning, a hibernating bear wakes up, and makes his way to a cabin, ringing the doorbell to be let in. The little girl who lives in the cabin doesn't know what to do with the bear, so she ties a silly yellow hat on him and they head off to the library. Along the way, people reactions to the bear are hilarious, and where do they first go? To the library, of course, where bear joins story time while the girl reads a book about bears. Then, it's off to a grocery store, and home again. Eventually, bear ends up back in his cave to finish his winter sleep. This book is just laugh out loud funny. Words and illustrations match perfectly, the body language and facial expressions on bear and people are both playfully and skeptically expressive. It's a book that cleverly tells a story using words (and not too many of them) for each letter of the alphabet. Each alphabet letter coordinates with a wintery gouache illustration that offer clues as to what is happening but also allows the reader to more fully narrate the events. As we went through the alphabet and pictures, each child took a turn telling the story based on the letter/picture cues (and which we have done repeatedly). My young readers loved it, and I loved it, what a great interactive book this turned out to be. We has so much fun with this book.

Some Favorite Books About Snow

We were all excited on Wednesday when we thought we were finally going to get some snow here in NYC. But no, unlike other parts of the country, all we had was just a squall. What to do? Why, break out some good snowy picture books, of course.

Little Fox in the Snow by Jonathan London, illustrated by Daniel Miyares

Candlewick Press, 2018, 40 pages

Sunlight shining on a young sleeping fox in his burrow wakes him up, and as he sticks his head outside, looking around at the snowy forest, he realizes he is hungry. It is time to hunt for his next meal. Following his instincts, the foxling hunts down a mouse, but it isn't enough to satisfy his hunger. Following tracks, the young fox finds a rabbit, then gets a nice drink from a cold stream. But the hunter soon becomes the hunted when the little fox meets a hungry wolverine. Will the foxling escape in time to dream away another night with a full stomach? Daniel Miyares ink and watercolor illustrations capture the cold of winter, and the red fox against the white snow keeps this story focused. Told in free-form poetry, the story of a winter day in the life of a little fox's is not the kind of cute stories about forest animals kids so frequently hear, but a more authentic, realistic picture of survival of the hunter and the hunted, and how that can change so quickly so the hunter becomes the hunted. Though the illustrations also have this authenticity to them, the more gory details are NOT part of the picture. I would recommend taking to any child you might want to share this book with.

Good Morning, Snowplow! by Deborah Bruss, 

illustrated by Lou Fancher and Steve Johnson

Arthur A. Levine Book, 2018, 32 pages

As night falls, it's time for everyone to go to sleep but when snow starts falling, it is time for the driver and his snowplow to go to work: Good night, farms, and good night, town./Tiny flakes start twirling down./Good night, playground turning white./ Good night, snowplow? Not tonight!" Step by step the driver makes sure the plow is in good order and snowstorm ready. As snow piles up, off they go to plow, salt, and sand the roads, calling a tow truck when a car drives into a snow mound, waiting for a passing train to go by, and cleaning snow off the lights and wind. By morning, the snow has stopped, the roads are plowed and it to go to sleep. My kids loved this book, especially the part where school is cancelled. The whole book is told in rhyming couplets and has a great rhythm to it, perfect for read alouds. The illustrations, done acrylic paint, colored pencil, pen, and collage really express the quiet intensity of a snowstorm, the loneliness of a nighttime plow driver, but this one brings along his faithful canine companion. I thought it was a nice touch that the driver is Asian, even though it is not part of the story or even mentioned. 

Once Upon a Snowstorm 

written and illustrated by Richard Johnson

Faber & Faber, 2018, 32pages

Still grieving the loss of their wife and mother, a young boy and his father, living on the edge of a wood, discover they have no food in the midst of a snowstorm. The two bundle up, dad carrying a rifle, and the two head out to hunt. The storm is so intense, father and son soon get separated. Tired from looking for his father, the boy falls asleep under the constellations of various star animals, only to wake up and find himself surrounded by forest animals, including a very large bear. Needless to say, everyone is surprised. The boy shares some candy, and together with the animals, he dances and draws cave pictures of animals with the bear. But soon, the boy begins to miss dad and home. so off he goes, riding the bears back. Once father and son are reunited, dad raises his rifle to shoot the bear, until the boy explains what happened. Rather than shooting the bear, the father and bear shake hands. This is a wordless picture book that clearly tells a story all my kids were able to understand without too much prompting from me. They even added some of their own wonderfully spot on narration to the story. There was a long discussion about the boy's deceased mother and the red-polka dot scarf served as a red thread to connect mom with the reconciliation and new found appreciate the for nature of father and son. It's clearly a fantasy story but the message is not. My kids did wonder if it was all a dream influenced by the constellations over the sleeping boy's head. Whatever your conclusions, this is a wonderful book with incredible illustrations.

Tracks in the Snow written and illustrated by
Wong Herbert Yee
Henry Holt BFYR, 2003, 32 pages

It's a snowy day and a young girl in a red coat has decided to trace the tracks she sees in the snow outside her house. With a refrain of "Tracks in the snow./Tracks in the snow./Who made the tracks?/Where do they go?" which kids will quickly pick up and repeat with each reading, the girl begins to eliminate who the tracks could belong to forest animal by forest animal. What a surprise when she realizes that the tracks in the snow are the ones she had made the day before while she was out playing in the snow. The story is told in a sweet rhyme and enhanced by the lovely Prismacolors on watercolor paper illustrations that give them a soft, slightly burred look that really imparts the sense of a snowy day. This was fun to read with my young readers who not only repeated the refrain, but liked naming the animals shown throughout the book. They could also see that the tracks were not made by animals, and had fun guessing whose they could be on out first reading, which didn't diminish their enjoyment at subsequent readings.

Moomin and the Winter Snow 

based on the original stories by Tove Jansson

Puffin Books, 2011, 28 pages

I've had this book since it was first published but have never used it with young readers because most American kids aren't familiar with the Moomins yet. Also, this book is only based on the Moomin stories of Tove Jannson, not written by her. This year, I decided to give it a go and see how it was received. It is starting to get cold and as everyone knows, Moomins hibernate for the winter. Before that happens, Moomintroll goes looking for his best friend Snufkin. Snufkin was getting ready to head south for the winter, since he didn't hibernate. The two friends say goodbye, but even though Snufkin reassured Moomintroll he would return the first warm day of spring, just as he did every year, Moomintroll was sad to see his friend go. Feeling dejected and alone, no one could convince Moomintroll of Snufkin's return. Would he miss Moomintroll as much as Moomintroll would miss Snufkin? Moomintroll is finally reassured when Moominpappa gives him a little parcel - a note and tiny sailboat to sail when together when he returns in spring. This is a nice story about friendship and about learning to express sadness. My young readers actually liked this book a lot, including with the way it was written and the illustrations. It opened up a really nice dialogue about missing people, mostly grandparents and friends who have moved away. There are a few more Moomin picture books based on Tove Jansson's original stories which my kids would like to read as well, so yes, you could say they were quite taken with the magic of Moominvalley and its inhabitants.

Here's a bit of good news - today is Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow and has predicted an early spring. Unfortunately, Phil is only accurate 39% of the time. Fortunately, there is Staten Island Chuck, who also did not see his shadow and he has been accurate 80% of the time, so hope springs eternal when it come to an early spring.

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow! A Snowy Picture Book Roundup

And what could be more fun then a snowy Christmas, especially one that you don't have to shovel!

Wolf in the Snow written and illustrated by Matthew Cordell

2017, Feiwel & Friends, 48 pages, age 3+

In this nearly wordless picture book, a young girl in a red hooded coat gets lost in as snowstorm after leaving school just as a young wolf cub gets separated from its pack in the woods. When the girl and the cub come face to face with each other in the woods, the cub is cold and exhausted. She coaxes the cub to come to her, and following the howling of the pack, eventually finds and returns the cub to its mother. But now the girl is cold, exhausted, and even more lost. Can the wolves help her find her way back home?  How many times did my young readers pull this book out to read and talk about it? More times than I can count. They loved this positive spin on the Little Red Riding Hood story. It is a story that is packed with emotion and feeling that can be read in the illustrations and I’ve never seen my kids take to a wordless picture book the way they did this one. And though it may be wordless, but it makes full use of sound words throughout. A story of kindness and caring that will definitely melt the coldest heart.

Winter Dance by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Richard Jones

2017, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 40 pages, age 4+

Winter’s coming, snowflakes are starting to fall, and all the forest creatures are getting ready for the cold. Only a fine red fox asks himself “what should I do?” One by one, the forest creatures make suggestions to the red fox, but none will work for him because he isn’t a caterpillar that can wrap itself up in a shiny chrysalis, or a squirrel who can gather and store enough acorns, or a bat that can sleep winter away hanging upside down in a cave, nor can a fox fly south with a flock of geese. A fluffy white rabbit, and big brown bear try to help, but their suggestions won’t work for a fine red fox either. What will work for a fox in winter? It takes another fine red fox to tell him that what he must do in winter is…dance. Because in winter, foxes dance with each other. This lyrical look at the habits of forest creatures getting ready for winter is tenderly illustrated by Richard Jones in a palette of soft forest colors against a snowy background and a wintery sky that accents the red fur of the fox. Not only is this a charming story, it is a nice introduction to animals in nature.  

Snow by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Lauren Stringer

2008, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt BFYR, 40 pages, age 4+

There’s all kinds of snow, this book reminds us. Snow that quietly comes at night, with big fat snowflakes that carry the possibility of school closing, or snow that starts while kids are in school and know they will be sent home. This lyrical poem follows a young girl as she experiences all kinds of snow with her new friend and her grandmother. Playing in the park, catching snowflakes on their tongues, rolling down snowy hills together, making snow angels until the two friends are taken to the warmth of their homes. At home, the young girl shares a warm drink and a game with her grandmother as they watch the falling snow outside. This is such a lovely, peaceful, intergenerational poem with illustrations that capture the magic of a big snowfall, so much so that you can almost feel the snowflakes falling on your own cheeks. Rylant has made snow look so inviting that now my young readers are hoping with all their might that we have a big snowfall, too, preferably sooner rather than later.

A Warm Winter written and illustrated by Feridun Oral

2016, minedition, 32 pages, age 4+

Mouse wakes up one morning and there’s a chill in the air. He decides it’s time to gather up some firewood in the forest so his family will be nice and warm all winter long. Mouse collects so much firewood, he’s exhausted and can’t get it all home by himself, so he calls on his friend Rabbit to see if she will help. When it is still too much for Mouse and Rabbit, they ask wise Fox if they can borrow his sled and if he would help. But Mouse’s pile of firewood is still to big and heavy and doesn’t budge, even with the sled. So the three friends decide to call on their friend Big Bear, who actually helps to move the pile of firewood, but when the snow intensifies into a blizzard and they hit a tree stump, everything goes flying. Can the four friends find a way to get the firewood home so that they can all have a warm winter? This is such a beautifully illustrated story about friendship, teamwork, and sharing, it was easy for my young readers to get the message. Oral has really captured the cold of a winter storm and warmth of having good friends.

White Snow, Bright Snow by Alvin Tresselt, illustrated by Roger Duvoisin

1947, 1988 Turtleback Books, 30 pages, age 5+

White Snow, Bright Snow begins and ends with a rhyme about silently falling snow coming down in the night. Then, it moves on to a lyrical prose text about children, a policeman, a farmer, and even a rabbit anticipating snow, and what they do when the first flakes begin to fall. As the snow continues to fall and pile up, the policeman gets sick, the farmer shovels a path from his house to his barn, the rabbit takes cover in his barrow, but the children laugh, dance and play in the snow. Eventually, the feel of spring is in the air, and the children, the policeman, the farmer, and the rabbit all begin to look forward to the warmer weather. This is an old-fashioned story, and not terribly exciting. I had my doubts that my young readers would like it very much, especially since we had just read Cynthia Rylant’s Snow the day before and it has a similar feel. And yet, they did like it, and liked comparing it to the Rylant story. This book was a Caldecott Medal winner in 1947, but I thought the illustrations held up very well. This book isn’t for everyone, but if you have a young reader who likes a quiet, gentle story this is for them.

The Snowbear by Sean Taylor, illustrated by Claire Alexander

2017, Words & Pictures, 32 pages, age 4+

Iggy and Martina are surprised to wake up and find that it had snowed overnight. Going out to play, their mom tells them to be careful of the hill - it’s steep and slippery in the snow. The kids decide to build a snowman, but he looks more like a snowbear after they put a hat on him. Next, they decide to slide down the hill on their sled, but it is so steep and slippery that they can’t stop  and find themselves deep in the woods, facing a very unfriendly wolf. Suddenly, the wolf runs away and Iggy and Martina are scooped up by their snowbear and taken up the hill to home.  The next day the snow has melted and the snowbear is gone. Did he melt or did he return to the woods to live? Young readers can decide for themselves. This is a charming, magical winter tale that is sure to please kids. It is just scary enough for young readers, and will keep them speculating about the snowbear’s fate with each reading. Alexander’s childlike illustrations add to the magical storyline, and there’s lots of white space mimicking cold snow. There’s lots of shadowing in the woods to add to the tension, but snowbear’s friendly face coming to the rescue quickly dispels it. A nice family read aloud that will no doubt be read and reread.

The Little Reindeer written and illustrated by Nicola Killen

2017, Paula Wiseman Book, 32 pages, age 4+

It’s Christmas Eve and Ollie has just gone to sleep when she hears the jingle of jingle bells. Looking out her window, all she sees freshly fallen snow. Going downstairs, she grabs her sled, and follows the jingling sound. In the wood, she find are collar with jingle bells all around it. When a reindeer approaches her, Ollie realizes the collar belongs to him and puts it back on him. Then, she climbs on his back, he flies her home and after saying good-bye, Ollie climbs back in bed and falls asleep, not even hearing the jingling bells of Santa and his reindeer. This is another magical winter tale, but did Ollie really help one of Santa’s reindeer, or was it perhaps a dream - once again, young readers can decide for themselves. Killen’s illustrations, done in a wintery night palette of whites, grays, and black, with touches of red and silver and gold textured jingle bells and snow, add to the magic of the story. This is sure to be a Christmas classic, and the perfect read aloud as the kids count the days until Santa visits.  

A Loud Winter’s Nap by written and illustrated by Katy Hudson

2017, Capstone Young Readers, 32 pages, age 3+

It’s time for Tortoise to begin his long winter’s nap. But just as he settles in to hibernate until spring, Tortoise is woken up by a Robin’s singing class. Invited to join the class,  Tortoise explains that he doesn’t like winter and packs up his stuff, and finds a new place to sleep. When he hears tap, tap, tap, he discovers Rabbit making ice sculptures. Invited to join, Tortoise explains he doesn’t like winter, and packs up his stuff to find a new place to sleep. But again, his sleep is disturbed - this time by Squirrel’s snowball fight. Finding a new place to sleep high up in a tree, Tortoise is awaked when he lands on the ground. It seems he’s crashed Beaver’s construction site. Moving again, he finds himself on the ice skating pond where he give up sleeping and joins Robin, Rabbit, Squirrel, and Beaver in some fun on the ice, but when everyone else gets tired and sleeps, now Tortoise is wide awake. Will he ever get his winter’s nap? This was a fun book with lots of great wintery illustrations.

How to Build a Snow Bear by Eric Pinder, pictures by Stephanie Graegin

2016, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 40 pages, age 3+

When Thomas discovers that he can’t build a snowman by himself, he decides to try to wake up the ‘hibernating bear’ in the upstair bedroom. But bears don’t like winter and neither does this little one. After trying all kinds of ways to wake up the ‘hibernating bear’ Thomas finally gets him downstairs with a favorite snack. Together, they finish the snowman, go sledding, build a snow cave, and at the end of the day, they share a favorite story. I found this to be a wonderful story about siblings learning to play together and enjoy each other’s company. My kids did wonder why the younger brother was sleeping when Thomas left for school and still sleeping the he got home from school. I explained he was probably taking an afternoon nap, but that wasn’t in the story. I have to admit I didn’t like the fact that Thomas has such a hard time waking up his brother, it felt like something was wrong and one of the kids asked if he was sick. My readers had no problem with him dressed up a in bear suit, telling me it was pretend, and probably warm. Overall, they liked this story especially since most of them are older and/or younger siblings. 

It's Monday! What are you reading? A Snow Day Picture Book Roundup

It's Monday! What are you reading? is the original weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, but is now hosted by Kathryn at Book Date.  It's Monday! What are you reading? - from Picture Books to YA is a kidlit focused meme just like the original and is hosted weekly by Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee at Unleashing Readers .  The purpose is the same: to recap what you have read and/or reviewed and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. Twitter for #IMWAYR

What to do on a snow day?  Read snow books, of course.

Snowballs written and illustrated by Lois Ehlert

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt BFYR, 1995, 40 pages, age 4+

A family has been waiting for snow for a while now, collecting all kinds of odds and ends for when the big snowfall arrives. And finally - snow, enough snow for all kinds of snowballs. First up is a snow dad, then a snow mom, a cool snow boy, a snow girl, a round snow baby, and finally, a snow cat and a spotted snow dog. But these are ordinary snow people and pets - they are decorated with all those colorful, carefully collected odds and ends. Dad wears a Bolivian hat, mom sports a Guatemalan purse, and there's a felt heart, toy wheel ears, button spots of the dog. In fact, there is a two page spread to show young readers just what and how everything was used. But, uh-oh, the sun has come out and you know what happens to snow people and pets when it warms up - the same fate as Frosty. 

But what is snow, and what makes it snow, anyway? Turn the page and find out. And don't forget the recipe for some really yummy looking popcorn balls on the jacket flap decorated to look like - what else? A snowman. Each collaged snow person and pet gets its own two page spread. They are from cut paper shapes, and decorated. Besides the odds and ends, there are raisins, sunflower seeds, corn kernels, twigs and all kinds of fun thing found in nature. This is a fun book to read, whether it's snowing outside or not, and it's chockablock with great ideas for your next snow person - whether made of paper or snow.

Before Morning written by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Beth Krommes

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt BFYR, 2016, 48 pages, age 4+

An ordinary cold winter's day, a walk through the park and along the street with mom and the dog, eating dinner as a family with mom and dad, mom reading a bedtime story, then folding the laundry before she leaves for work as an airplane pilot...But maybe, just this once, if it is said just the right way and using just the right words, a wished for snowstorm might just bring mom back home. Written in rhyme, Sidman employed the literary device of invocation for expressing the young girl's wish for snow and her mom's return: "Let the air turn to feathers/the earth turn to sugar/and all that is heavy/be light." What is invocation? Sidman includes a note On Wishes and Invocations. How powerful are words? she asks, and what would you wish for? I loved that it is the mom who is the pilot, and the dad who stays home with their daughter. Beth Krommes watercolor illustrations done on scratchboard in a palette of wintery browns, golds, and blues with touches of other color (like winter itself). Using the scratchboard technique really gives each illustration so much depth and texture. This is a charming story where the art and the rhyme really come together so beautifully in this heartwarming family story.

Snow by Roy McKie and P.D. Eastman

Random House BFYR, 1962, 2014, 61 pages, age 4+

Snow is an oldie, but a goodie. It has been a favorite of beginning readers in my house since I began reading, and served my Kiddo well, too. In between, it was passed around from cousin to cousin until the original fell apart and a new one was needed. Written in a simple rhyme, two children and their dog play in the snow - sledding, throwing snowballs, making a snow house and having a snowy picnic in it, and finally building a great big snowman. But when the snow melts, the kids and their dog aren't ready to say good-bye to it. What to do? Why, save some in the refrigerator for another day. (This book inspired me to make a mini snowman who lived in our freezer for a few years, until my mom forgot abut him spring cleaning one year.) If this books rhyme reminds you of Dr. Seuss, it may be because he did have a hand in the editing of Snow. 

First Snow written and illustrated by Bomi Park

Chronicle Books, 2016, 40 pages, age 2+

While the world is sleeping, it begins to snow. A small girl hears it, sees it and puts on her snowsuit, hat and red scarf. In the yard, she makes a snowball and starts to roll it, followed behind by a small white puppy. The girl rolls and rolls her snowball, which grows and grows, going past some houses, and into the county, then, alongside a speeding train, through the woods and all the animals living there, finally arriving at a field full of other children building snowmen. But in the morning, outside the girl's house, stands a long snowman wearing a familiar red scarf. Was this all a dream? a wish? real? Young readers are left to decide for themselves. There is spare, simple text, making it ideal for the beginning reader, and the soft illustrations offer much to talk about. The illustrations were done on textured paper, with a variety of mediums, including acrylic paint and ink pastels, Park has really captured the beauty and gentleness of snow falling at night and the wonder of waking up to see it. This is such a magical story about the first snowfall of the winter. 

The Wish Tree by Kyo Maclear, pictures by Chris Turnham

Chronicle Books, 2016, 40 pages, 3+

Even though his older brother and sister told Charles there was no such thing as a wish tree, he was still determined to find it. With the whole day ahead of him and armed with his trusty sled, Boggan, Charles goes off to the woods to find the wish tree. Along the way, he meets a squirrel who needs help getting his hazelnuts to his home, a beaver who needs help getting wood his lodge, a fox who needs to get berries to her burrow, and a whole bunch of other woodland creatures needing help. Charles and his Boggan help them all and before he knows it, the day is gone, and it begins to snow. When a very tired Charles falls asleep on Boggan, the animals gather to pull them to the wish tree. After hanging his wish on the tree, Charles sits down to a celebration feast with the animals until it is time to go home. Yes, this story is a fantasy, which is good cause we don't want our kids going into the woods alone, or walking on the frozen pond (but these two things offer a good opportunity to discuss with kids why they should NOT imitate Charles). Whimsical digitally created illustrations, repetition, and onomatopoeia makes this a fun book for young readers.

Bunny Slopes written and illustrated by Claudia Rueda

Chronicle Books, 2016, 60 pages, age 4+

Bunny really wants to go skiing, but needs some help from his young readers in this interactive story. First of all, there is no snow, so Bunny asks his readers to shake the book to make it snow. Then, he needs the book tilted so he can ski downhill. Finally, everything is perfect, that is, Bunny even manages to avoid a hole in the ground, well, the first one, anyway. The second hole catches Bunny by surprise, but there's an even bigger surprise when he lands in his own bunny hole and his mom has a nice cup of hot cocoa waiting for him - all's well that ends well. Kids will enjoy helping Bunny with his ski day, shaking, tilting, and turning the book around and around. The simple digital and charcoal illustrations in a palette of snow white and icy blue with a touch of red add charm to the story, especially give Bunny's sweet face.

What are your favorite snow day books to read while staying warm and cozy?

Why didn't I include the iconic The Snowy Day by Jack Ezra Keats? Check out my first day of winter post that includes more that wonderful book and other fun Snow Day books:

Happy First Day of Winter