Snow | Children's Books Heal

first-snow-61gpbjzlq4l__sy415_bo1204203200_ First Snow

Bomi Park, Author and Illustrator

Chronicle Books, Fiction, Sep. 6, 2016

Suitable for Ages: 2-5

Themes: Snow, Snowmen, Snow Angels, Inspirational

Opening: “Shhhh, listen… do you hear something? Pit, pit, pit against the window. Glistening, floating in the night.”

Synopsis: A little girl awakens to the sound of snow flakes pit patting against her window. She quickly dresses in her boots, coat, scarf and hat and sneaks outside to the quiet hush of the snow flakes falling. She begins to roll a small snowball, which grows bigger and bigger as she wanders across the town, along rivers, through the woods, past a bear, and into an open area where a group of children are busy building snowmen and enjoying a magical day in the snow.

Why I like this book:

This enchanting and quiet book by Bomi Park captures the joy and magic a child experiences in a first snow of the season. The minimal text flows nicely, giving the black and white pencil illustrations (with a splash of red) time to draw readers deeply into the journey of a little girl rolling her snowball across town. Park’s dreamy illustrations show the simple wonderment of the story and allow readers time to imagine themselves playing in the new snow. She also uses a lot of white space and many wordless pages in this small book designed for small hands. First Snow is a perfect bedtime snuggle book. Verdict: This book will be a winner with toddlers and young children for many years to come!

Resources: When the first big snow arrives, take a walk, catch snowflakes on your tongue, build a snowman, and make snow angels. Enjoy the experience.

Bomi Park was born and lives in South Korea. First Snow is her debut picture book. It was first published in South Korea. A student of piano, psychology, and architecture, she discovered that drawing was a perfect way to communicate love to her family and friends.

Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books (PPB) with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Books.

before-morning-61plgsa6lwl__sx379_bo1204203200_ Before Morning

Joyce Sidman, Author and Poet

Beth Krommes, Illustrator

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Fiction, Oct. 4, 2016

Suitable for Ages: 4-7

Themes: City and town life, A child’s wish, Snow, Rhyme

Book Jacket Synopsis: There are planes to fly and buses to catch, but a small child wishes for a different sort of day. As clouds gather and heavy flakes fall, her invocation rises above the sleeping city. A too-busy world falls silent, and a family revels in the freedom and peace that snow brings.

Why I like this book:

Joyce Sidman’s breathtaking book is pure poetry for children and the young at heart. The text is spare and there are many wordless pages. It is a quiet story to curl up with, read slowly and study the detail on each page. There are busy scenes of people walking in parks, striding past shops, pushing strollers and riding buses. There are children arriving home from school, families eating together, and parents leaving for work. And there is a child who wishes for snow. Beth Krommes’ beautiful scratch-board artwork is a feast for the eyes. The words and artwork perfectly support the theme.

Resources: Make sure you read the author’s thought-provoking comment “On Wishes and Invocations” at the end of the book. Ask children what they wish for. Do their words have power?

Joyce Sidman won a Newbery Honor for her Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night. She is today’s foremost nature poet for children. Two of her other books are Caldecott Honor books. She won the Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children for her award-winning body of work.

Beth Krommes is the Caldecott-winning artist of The House in the Night and other beautiful picture books, including Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow, and Blue on Blue.