Some Snow Is...

Like a frosty incantation, Yeomans uses lyrical cadences to itemize the many types of snow, from the first snow--"We've waited for so long snow. Is it really snow snow, or only heavy rain?"--to "all gone snow"--"We've waited for so long snow. Please, please, no more snow/... our bikes are whispering." Incorporating a range of winter pastimes, from making snow angels, throwing snowballs, and sledding to tracking critters, avoiding yellow snow, and staying cozy on a blizzardy day, the text takes its time to chant its way through winter's span. Much like winter itself, some may find that the story stretches a bit long, though Offermann's captivating pictures help sustain attention. The richly detailed illustrations combine the crispness of manga-inflected pen-and-ink drawings with the softness of watercolor to show an inclusive cast of children experiencing every sort of snow that Yeomans names. Ages 4-8. (Nov.)

PreS-Gr 1--The English language might not have as many words for snow as some other languages supposedly have, but this rhyming story does its best to tackle the amazing variety of the wintry precipitation nonetheless. Three young friends explore and celebrate as the seasons change from late autumn to early spring, watching the initial hesitant flakes of "First Snow" become sleet, then more heavy varieties (Fluff Snow, True Snow, Snowman Snow) suitable for making snow angels, forts, and snowballs. Eventually, even fun snow becomes tiresome, as the kids long for "no more snow" as their "bikes are whispering." Offermann's vivacious pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations brim with energy and movement, whether it's the leaves blowing in the wind of the first snowfall, flying snowballs, or the three friends sailing over a hill on a sled. VERDICT Though the repetition of "snow" in every three out of four lines gets somewhat monotonous, this is a charming seasonal story, especially for places that have lots of snow in winter.--Yelena Voysey, formerly at Pickering Educational Library, Boston University