Before Morning

Before Morning

Joyce Sidman

pictures by Beth Krommes 2016

When we had our first snow of the season in December, it was the perfect time to read this cozy snowy book.  A child's mom is an airline pilot and is off to work.  But in the night the snow begins to fall and aren't we all happy when the snow makes us slow down and spend the day together?  Beth Krommes' intricate illustrations capture both a snowy city and a cozy home.  While Joyce Sidman explains how poetry in the form of an invocation can invite something wonderful. 

Snowflake

Snowflake

Paul Gallico 1953

Frankly I was unprepared for how profound this story was.  Paul Gallico's lyrical writing tells of a snowflake, made in the clouds and coming to earth in a small mountain village.  That begins the gentle story of her life, all that she sees and wonders about.  Gradually she melts and begins a journey through rivers and lakes and adulthood.  Don't look for any scientific accuracy, this story is all allegory, contemplation about the meaning of our existence, our purpose, our time and experience through life, and our place in the universe.  Pretty heavy stuff, but told in a beautiful, simple way.  It's nice as a read aloud children's book, but probably best suited for those of us experiencing the existential crisis of middle age!

Sand and Snow

Sand or Snow?  I do not know and leave it up to you...

It's no secret I'm more of a cold weather lover.  I enjoy all the seasons, but can handle the cold better than the heat (and we've been having a lot of heat lately!)  The simple pictures are great in this vintage book about a girl who loves the sun and sand and a boy who loves the snow.  Each page compares their adventures in their differing climates.

Sand and Snow 

Karla Kuskin 1965

The Snow Speaks

This is actually a Christmas book.  But we tend to get most of our snow in the months of January, February and March.  And we've had a couple snow storms recently that have left the world around us white and magical.  

In Nancy White Carlstrom's poem snow speaks, "Here Here Here", "Cold Cold Cold", "Blow Blow Blow".  And two children listen and watch waiting for other secrets they know the snow has in store.

The Snow Speaks

Nancy White Carlstrom

illustrated by Jane Dyer 1992

Snowflake Bentley

How could we go through a winter season without reading this book?!

Snowflake Bentley

Jacqueline Briggs Martin

illustrated by Mary Azarian 2009

Mary Azarian's illustrations have a woodblock feel, as Jacqueline Briggs Martin tells the true story of Wilson Bentley, a farmer's son who grew to love and study nature.  He was particularly interested in precipitation and snowflakes.  After getting a camera, Willie discovered a way to take photographs of snowflakes.  It was tricky and had to be done in absolute cold so that the crystals wouldn't melt, but in the end he was able to make strikingly beautiful pictures of magnified snowflakes.

 For fifty years Wilson A. Bentley, a simple farmer, developed his technique of microphotography to reveal to the world the grandeur and mystery of the snowflake- its universal hexagonal shape and its infinite number of lovely designs.

The Winter Child

The Winter Child

Lee Wyndham

illustrated by Yaroslava 1970

We have a couple versions of this Russian folk tale, sometimes called The Snow Child.  This one has particularly striking illustrations by Yaroslava.

An old man and woman have everything they need on their cozy farm, except for a child.  One Winter day after watching the village children build snowmen, they decide to make a little girl out of snow.  Magically she comes alive and becomes their very own child.   But because she is a snow child, she must sleep outside in the cool weather and can't have anything warm to eat or drink.  And of course as the season changes, she must go away but promises to come back every winter. 

(I love books that show pictures of samovars!)

For some reason the picture of the girl-shaped puddle is particularly sad to me!

The Big Snow

Winter isn't over until we've had our big snow.  This year it came in March.  School was off, snow and snowsuits were strew about just inside the front door, and the kids got in sledding and building snow forts.     This morning I filled our bird feeder out front, and sprinkled some seeds on the ground and I thought of this book Charlotte and I read the other night.

The Big Snow

Berta and Elmer Hader 1948

A classic, it starts off describing the various animals of the forest and meadow and their plans for the winter.  Mrs. Chipmunk and the wood mouse are busy storing nuts and seeds.  The groundhog and skunk family are ready to sleep the winter away, while various birds decide to fly south.

One night wise owl sees a rainbow around the moon.  "A rainbow around the moon meant more snow.  MUCH MORE."   Two days later when the animals awake to a heavy blanket of snow, they go searching for food.  Thanks to the thoughtful old man and woman in the little stone house, seeds and breadcrumbs and hay and corn are set out for the animals so they won't go hungry.