While wintry weather often brings more work for adults with shoveling and dealing with cold temperatures, many children find snow (and snow days) magical and fun. After playing in the snow, I think there is no better way to spend a chilly winter day than snuggled up with a good book.
A Little Like Magic, opens a new window by Sarah Kurpiel
A child looks forlornly out a frosty window framed in icicles. She does not want to go out. She does not like heavy coats or boots, cold wind, or icy roads. She really doesn’t like places she’s never been, but reluctantly goes with her mother to watch artists create outdoor ice sculptures, all the while skeptically wondering what is the point of carving ice into art when it’s all going to melt. When she and her mother go back to view the sculptures at night it is even colder and more crowded but when she sees the completed ice sculptures illuminated and sparkling in the dark, she understands that the magical feeling they create will stay longer than the statues themselves.
Flubby Does Not Like Snow, opens a new window by J.E. Morris
Flubby’s kid is excited for them to play together in the freshly fallen snow, but when Flubby goes outside, the snow is much too cold, and Flubby retreats to the house. Flubby’s kid gets the kitty some boots, but Flubby’s back is still cold. A coat helps, but Flubby’s head is still cold. Finally, bundled in boots, coat, hat, and scarf, Flubby is warm and ready to play. This adorable cat is a reflection of those of us who want to enjoy the snow but not if we have to be cold while doing it.
Hiders Seekers Finders Keepers, opens a new window by Jessica Kulekjian and illustrated by Salini Perera
When the days get shorter and the temperatures drop, wild animals use their special skills to adapt. Some go underground or burrow into dens, logs, or tree stumps to hibernate. Some animals migrate to places that are warmer and where food is easier to find. Some animals continue living in the same area all year, growing thick winter coats, hunting, or retrieving food they stored earlier in the year to get them through the winter. The illustrations and main text of this picture book are engaging for a younger reader, and detailed sidebars and backmatter add information for children who are a little older or have a deeper interest in science.
I'm Going to Build A Snowman, opens a new window by Jashar Awan
A little boy wakes to discover it snowed, and that means it’s time to build a snowman! He knows exactly how to build a snowman and understands it is quite easy to roll the snow into perfectly round balls and place them on top of each other, then add a top hat, carrot nose, and sticks for arms. He heads outside with the declaration that he is going to build “the best snowman ever!” When his snowman is finished, it seems a little wobbly, and the snow is not the pristine white of his imagination. But he is very proud of his creation and knows it is his “best snowman yet.”
Snow Is, opens a new window by Laura Gehl and illustrated by Sonia Sánchez
Snow brings a little boy joy in many ways: catching flakes on his tongue, having a snowball fight with his dad, sledding, and making show angels. Once he’s back inside his house, there are snuggles in front of a cozy fire, warm cookies, and warm blankets tucking him into bed after a fun-filled day.
So Much Snow, opens a new window by Hyunmin Park
With few words and incredibly creative artwork, Park’s characters shovel their way through deep, deep snow to get to a plow, which they then use to clear a path and to have fun in the snow. Each page gives an increasingly broader perspective of the landscape, which gradually reveals the creative setting for this book. A wonderful book to read with a child and ask them to tell you what they think is happening on each page.
Wintergarden, opens a new window by Janet S. Fox and illustrated by Jasu Hu
During the chilly winter, a family living in an apartment plants vegetable seeds in pots to put on their window sill, where the child in the family watches their progress, moving the pots so they get the most sun, and keeping them watered. While there is still snow on the ground outside, the family enjoys meals with greens and herbs harvested from their indoor garden, and the little girl looks forward to the following year, when she will get to pick what seeds they plant.
Darcie Caswell is Director of Youth Services at CRRL. This column originally appeared in The Free Lance-Star newspaper.
