Snow

Rylant and Stringer (previously paired for "Scarecrow") celebrate winter wonderlands in a cozy, lyrical tribute. Whether they encounter heavy snow that buries cars up to their noses, or the best snow of all, the kind that comes softly in the night, like a shy friend afraid to knock, so she thinks she'll just wait in the yard until you see her, kids embrace the precipitation. Author and illustrator largely look through a nostalgic lens. Rylant wistfully observes the snow's fleeting beauty and the passage of time; Stringer casts a granddaughter and grandmother duo in the lead roles. The result can feel more like a stroll down memory lane (or a preparation for one) than a childlike, in-the-moment romp. Stringer takes full advantage of the book's oversize dimensions and offers a range of perspectives. Her acrylic illustrations brim with blue-white crystal creationsflurries, drifts and snowflakes, no two alike. And when winter asserts itself at twilight, Stringer also shows grandmother and granddaughter staying warm inside, happy to be together: It's the snow's turn now, Rylant says as Stringer offers an aerial view of the house, We'll watch it fall. Like snow, the ending achieves a perfect silence. Ages 37. "(Nov.)" Copyright 2008 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

PreS-Gr 2A single snowflake on a midnight-blue marbled background ushers readers into this quiet celebration of snow that "comes softly in the night like a quiet friend" or falls so "heavy [it buries] cars up to their noses." In brief, lyrical text, Rylant states that snow helps us notice "the delicate limbs of trees" and "the light falling from a lamppost." It brings the delight of making snow angels and sledding and returning home to enjoy a warm drink. She urges readers to savor the phenomenon, for it remains only briefly. Stringer's acrylic paintings make use of small boxed scenes, full and three-quarter spreads, or full-page pictures framed in white, to display a world of snow-filled wonders. Varying perspectives help readers come up close to a group of multiethnic children gazing longingly at the flakes falling outside their classroom window and then view them from above as, clad in their puffy winter gear, they are finally released to cavort in its depths. There are interior views of a grandparent and child enjoying cozy activities at home and exterior scenes of the two enjoying a walk as twilight bathes the snow in pink hues. This is a gentle gem while Uri Shulevitz's "Snow" (Farrar, 2004) is a livelier treatment of the topic."Marianne Saccardi, formerly at Norwalk Community College, CT" Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"Rylant and Stringer (previously paired for Scarecrow) celebrate winter wonderlands in a cozy, lyrical tribute. . . . Like snow, the ending achieves a perfect silence.."—Publishers Weekly (10/6/08)