So Much Snow

In this seasonal day-by-day telling, sprightly rhymes chronicle two wintry weeks in which a snowstorm blankets a forest and then recedes. On Monday, Mouse spots the first flakes ("silent swirling"), and Rabbit paws at "flakes floating" on Tuesday. As each daybreak brings more snow, another animal (Fox, Wolf, Deer, Bear, and Moose) encounters the bluster, while an accompanying refrain wonders: "How high will it go?" By Sunday, only a single antler peeks from a mound of white, and then the story reels backward as each animal in turn emerges from the retreating accumulation ("On Monday, the sun starts to show./ Mountains melting./ Look, it's Moose./ Hello!") and toward, perhaps, springlike temperatures. Jacoby combines watercolors, pastels, and digital techniques for a soft and dreamy effect; alongside Schroeder's effervescent prose, the book presents an atmospheric account of the vagaries of the natural world. Ages 3-7. (Oct.)

K-Gr 3—The flakes start to fall on a Monday, ushering in a week of accumulating snow. On subsequent days, different forest animals appear, along with the repeated refrain of "how high will it go?" Readers see a mouse, rabbit, fox, wolf, two leaping deer, and a bear, by Saturday, fall into a soft, deep pile. The lyrical language includes rhyme and alliteration, expressing both drama and the peace of a white-out. The fuzziness of the pictures in the first portion of the book beautifully matches the reduced visibility during a snowstorm. On Sunday the storm abates, and when the sun comes out on Monday, readers see a moose, followed by the earlier animals, all greeting the signs of spring. Illustrations perfectly capture the first captivating hints of green. Of course, spring is often a bit of a tease, and in true circle story fashion, winter isn't quite over, and nature's drama will begin again. VERDICT A quiet story that paints a lovely scene and sets a mood with evocative illustrations and language.—Gloria Koster