The Snowman Waltz
by Karen Konnerth (Author) Emily Neilson (Illustrator)
On a cold winter's night under a starry sky, a dozen snowmen swoop down into a woodland glen. With a swing and a glide, they waltz in pairs, moving gracefully along a frozen river to a one, two, three tempo. Wearing top hats and colorful mittens, the snowmen bump, spin, and laugh as they make their way to dance on a frozen pond in a clearing.
But wait, who is tramping down the hill and into the very same space? A dozen penguins, with their gleaming eyes and red bowties, march into the clearing, interrupting the dance. It's a collision on ice. What a disaster! How can both groups share the same space? What will it take to sort out this kerfuffle to the satisfaction of both parties?
Told in lyrical text with contrasting rhythms, this fun read-aloud offers a subtle lesson in cooperation for readers of all ages. Back matter includes song and sheet music, as well as a finger dance activity.
Locate at a Library Near You WorldCat is the world's largest library catalog, helping you find library materials online.
Find books about:
School Library Journal
K-Gr 2--Readers will delight in the antics of a group of snowmen who meet up with a troop of penguins. How can they reconcile the one, two, three of "waltzing out under the moon" with the four-count of "marching in a line"? Snow and ice glitter under a clear winter sky as the snowmen gracefully dance along a frozen river. The illustrations capture the "Swing, two, three, Hop, two, three" of the dancers swirling in rhythm. A turn of the page shows the "Uniforms that all are matching. Black and white and looking fine." When the groups collide, the spread captures in mid-motion the bowties and scarves flying, stick arms of snowmen falling loose, and penguins head over heels in the air. Everything is disrupted until the smallest members of each group find a way to cooperate. The fun of the story can be extended with a song sheet and directions on dance steps to try out. Of note: It's an all-male cast on the snow side, and the penguins, if ungendered, are uniformly tuxedoed. VERDICT The rhyming text catches the beat of both groups and will have readers eager to try out their own march or waltz moves, as well as read the story again.--Suzanne Costner
Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.JUV057000 - Juvenile Fiction | Stories in Verse (see also Poetry)
JUV039200 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Manners & Etiquette
JUV002380 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Penguins
Penguins
Picture books
Stories in rhyme
Snowmen
Animal fiction
Waltz
